Cesar Chavez is a prolific organizer who championed the rights of farm workers in America. According to “Las Culturas,” he was born on March 31, 1927, in Yuma, Arizona. There, he encountered “first hand” the injustices that the dominant society hurled against the common laborer. It was these experiences that eventually led him to create the United Farm Workers (UFW), a group that worked to change the conditions of farm laborers everywhere.
While leading the UFW, Chavez gave speeches with memorable quotes that can inspire us today. There are a few Cesar Chavez quotes commonly recanted by historians and posted all over the web. Below are a few that the every day man and woman can use in his or her life.
“When we are really honest with ourselves we must admit our lives are all that really belong to us. So it is how we use our lives that determines the kind of men we are.”
Are you living for yourself or others? If you are confused by this question or have to admit that you are the world’s biggest “patsy”, it’s time to take a page out of the book of Cesar Chavez and live for yourself. Find out what it is that you really want to do and go for it. Live for yourself and be free. Be you.
“The fight is never about grapes or lettuce. It is always about people.”
It is often said by humanitarians that “people” are the world’s greatest commodity. This statement is true because even the most brilliant minds need the support of others. Donald Trump, Reggie Bush, Oprah – none of these people would be the successes they are today without an effective support team. You are no different. You need the love and support of others in order to make it in life. Don’t forget this as you interact with your friends and family. Don’t take them for granted and treat them with respect.
“Years of misguided teaching have resulted in the destruction of the best in our society, in our cultures and the environment.”
What ideas do you hold onto from childhood that are contradicted by “the facts?” Were you told that you’d never be anything because you came from a certain area? What about other? Where you taught that certain sexes or races are inferior? Let go of these tainted ideas so you can move ahead in life and in your spirit. These destructive concepts and other ideas often keep us from fulfilling dreams and building a wonderful life full of diverse people. So face the truth. Although your grandmother was a nice lady, she didn’t know everything, Go with the facts and open up your mind.
“Real education should consist of drawing the goodness and the best out of our own students. What better books can there be than the book of humanity.”
Are you learning from your mistakes? This may sound like a funny question, but it’s a real one. Most people who are able to take life by the horns do it through a series of mistakes until they learn and get it right. So if you haven’t changed in over 20 years and refuse to acknowledge you mistakes, you’re getting a “D” in the area of education, even if you’re a Harvard graduate. So don’t be afraid to change. It’ll help you transform into the person you really want to be.
“It is possible to become discouraged about the injustice we see everywhere. But God did not promise us that the world would be humane and just. He gives us the gift of life and allows us to choose the way we will use our limited time on earth. It is an awesome opportunity.”
Are you stuck in the past? Or, maybe you just always focus on the negative? Both of these paths can be detrimental to you. Life is full of things to be upset about. If you can’t change them, they’re just distractions – things that keep you from doing what you really want to with your life. So maybe it’s time to change your perspective and live life in a way that honors it as a gift.
In conclusion, Cesar Chavez offered up many sayings to us through his work with the UFW. Sadly, he died in 1993, but not without making a big impact on the world. Remember this, as you ponder his words.
