Leonardo da Vinci

 Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci

 

“Learning never exhausts the mind.” – Leonardo da Vinci

 

Leonardo da Vinci was another individual that reflected what it meant to be a “Renaissance Man”. Among the many skills and talents, da Vinci excelled and was an inventor, mathematician, painter, drawer, sculptor, engineer, architect, musician, scientist, writer, historian, cartographer, as well as many others. Leonardo da Vinci was similar to Michelangelo in the level of detail that he ascribed to his paintings.

 

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” – Leonardo da Vinci

 

Among the many works of da Vinci, the Mona Lisa as well as the Last Supper stand out as his most famous works. The Mona Lisa depicts a woman in a serene demeanor that has an ambiguous smile or emotion. The Last Supper depicts Jesus with the twelve apostles the night before the crucifixion was to occur. The amount of detail and realism is astounding and leads the viewer the ask themselves how such art is possible.

 

“The natural desire of good men is knowledge.” – Leonardo da Vinci

 

Leonardo da Vinci perfected his art and continued learning. Among the most amazing facts concerning this individual is that he had a notebook containing notes of flying vehicles, tanks, and similar mechanisms of action that could be said to have been inspiration for the planes and tanks we have now. The amount of ingenuity that this man possessed was astounding. This is all during the 15th century. There is something that happens when a person decides to focus on the beauty and innovation of life and maximizes their time.

 

“Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!” – Leonardo da Vinci

 After finding the ability to master multiple topics and lead to beautiful works of art and masterful innovations, da Vinci seems to be a perfect example of the universal genius. He serves as an example of what the human mind is capable of achieving if only it has its sights placed on its goals. He wrote much about the need to act and not only think. He was as much pragmatic as philosophical. The perfect balance existed that led to his abstract ideas becoming visible to everyone around him.

Spencer Churchill

 Spencer Churchill

 

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston S. Churchill

 

Winston Spencer Churchill was born in November 30, 1874. He was to become the most important, defiant, and mentally strong leader of the Western world for the 20th century. Among the many adjectives that could describe Winston Churchill, being headstrong in a positive way allowed him to defend the liberties of those in the Western world. When Nazi Germany invaded Europe and terrified the world with the enormous signs of destruction, Winston Churchill refused to capitulate. Of all the English leaders in Parliament, Winston Churchill, was the only leader to refuse to sign a treaty with the German leaders. While several English leaders feared Germany and wished to pacify it through forfeiture of sovereignty, Churchill decided to mount a defense to the German might.

 

“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” – Winston Churchill

 

When most Europe lay crumbling from the attacks of the German armies in World War II, Churchill decided to mount a resistance. He wrote extensively to the United States in favor of getting much needed equipment to defend democracy. He wrote a speech to unite England against the tyranny of the time. He decided to mount soldiers in strategic points to allow time for reinforcements to arrive. To say the least, this will to fight despite all obstacles makes Churchill stand as a defender of Western History.

 

“Never, never, never, give up.” – Winston Churchill

 

And what else could we expect from a self-made man. He learned to write, read, and continued to excel at everything he placed his mind to. Churchill was known to write extensively on multiple subjects from the time he acted as a war correspondent, writing about his experiences in his British army service, to his experiences flying airplanes. Winston Churchill enjoyed living and enjoyed breaking limits. We know so much about him due to his extensive writing ability and volumes of information that he would dictate or write himself. He made sure that his ideas were recorded but also made sure to have fun while at it. Such men are able to lead when history calls for it.

 

“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill

 

A man of many successes but also of failures. It is impossible to recount the amount of times he was criticized for simply existing. People forgot about  him after freeing the Western world from German Nazi destruction. He was often ridiculed by his own party or by the opposition party but he remained calm and collected. When a woman complained that he was a drunkard, Winston quickly quipped, “I may be drunk, Miss, but in the morning I will be sober while you will be ugly.” Such quick wit and mental fortitude shows that no one was allowed to have fun at the expense of Churchill.

 

“If you are going through hell, keep going.” – Winston Churchill

Despite all his supposed eccentricities and peculiarities, Winston Churchill was a leader than united a nation that wanted to fear the enemy. Churchill inspired greatness and fortitude even in the most trying times. His famous speech shows what kind of a man he was. A man that always places one foot in front of the other and continues, no matter the circumstances. A man who did not look to inspire pity or fear but rather unity and cohesion. By resisting World War II Germany, Churchill decided to embrace truth and protect history from being ravaged by evil doctrines. Even after England suffered terrible losses of life through the defense of Europe, it gave time for a nation to come to its rescue and the rest … well here we are speaking English, enjoying a representative democratic republic, with liberties.

Anne Marie Frank

 Anne Marie Frank

 

“I want to be useful or bring enjoyment to all people, even those I’ve never met. I want to go on living even after my death! And that’s why I’m so grateful to God for having given me this gift, which I can use to develop myself and to express all that’s inside me!” – Anne Marie Frank

 

Anne Marie Frank was a young girl born in Germany that lived in the Netherlands during the occupation of the German forces. Her family lived some of the worst times in history as they were persecuted for their Jewish ancestry. With intelligence and bravery, the Frank Family was able to hide from the German soldiers for as long as they could. For about two years, they survived by living in a hiding place behind bookshelves in Anne’s father’s workplace.

 

“Human greatness does not lie in wealth or power, but in character and goodness. People are just people, and all people have faults and shortcomings, but all of us are born with a basic goodness.” – Anne Marie Frank

 

To think of the horrors that any individual had to endure simply for the fact of being Jewish is beyond terrifying. Worse was the fact that innocent children were attacked as well. Anne Frank was an example of individuals who were not allowed to continue during the bloodthirsty reign of the German Nazis. Such examples should serve as a form of truth to the deceitful nature of ideologies. Anne Frank did the best she could by writing in her journal everything she saw. From the interactions of her family members up to the sounds and noises that caused pain for the fear of discovery.

 

“I see the world being slowly transformed into a wilderness; I hear the approaching thunder that, one day, will destroy us too. I feel the suffering of millions. And yet, when I look up at the sky, I somehow feel that everything will change for the better, that this cruelty too shall end, that peace and tranquility will return once more.” – Anne Marie Frank

Anne Frank wanted to be someone great. She did, in fact, manage to become great. She opened our eyes to the destructive nature of mankind, but also to the gentleness and divine nature of those that carry goodness in their lives. Anne Frank described in her writings that she thought that even after all the evil that the German Nazis had decided to partake, she believed in the goodness of the human spirit. She also wanted to be a great journalist and wanted to be great. She accomplished that and much more.

 

“The final forming of a person’s character lies in their own hands.” – Anne Marie Frank

 

Anne Frank’s story should serve as a reminder to what happens when we dehumanize our adversaries or perceived adversaries. We should always think that even in the worst of disagreements, we should respect each other and care about each other. Even if words offend, actions should never lead us to perdition. Anne Frank’s story is very dear since I watched a play when I was in eight grade and I remember the sadness of every moment when the Frank family saw or heard German footsteps in their hiding place. No one should have to live like that. No one should be treated as less than human and yet it happens in the current world we live in. We need to take lessons from Anne Frank, the fourteen year old girl, that was able to teach the world that no matter how much evil in the world exists, the goodness of people is much greater.

 

“In the long run, the sharpest weapon of all is a kind and gentle spirit.” – Anne Marie Frank

 

Michelangelo di Lodovico

 Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni

 

“The true work of art is but the shadow of divine perfection.” – Michelangelo

 

Michelangelo is considered the quintessential “Renaissance Man”. A  person that was a polymath, or individual capable at excelling at multiple subjects through dedication and persistent determination. He had a voracious curiosity that so few channeled into creativity. Michelangelo learned multiple languages, sculpted, painted, served as an architect, and wrote multiple poems among other activities. This example alone shows us what the human potential is capable of achieving if only it is perfected through careful observation and dedication to worthwhile activities.

 

“There is no greater harm than that of wasted time.” – Michelangelo

 

Among the many amazing works of art include the David and the Pieta. Among the fascination that these works inspire are the human-like form that Michelangelo was able to create from sight. The Pieta demonstrated a saddened Mary holding on to Jesus’ body after suffering the crucifixion. Both the David and the Pieta show the amount of realism that can exist in art. We can see the divinity of GOD’S creation in the artist’s work.

 

“Many believe- and I believe that I have been designated for this work by GOD. In spite of my old age, I do not want to give it up; I work out of love for GOD and I put all my hope in Him.” – Michelangelo

 

Michelangelo was a man of faith who devoted himself to his work. He perfected his craft through countless hours of attempting the same strokes over and over until he painted exactly as his mind imagined his art to be. His level of detail and perfection is rarely seen even in today’s post-modern art which boasts the most amount of materials to produce masterpieces.  Michelangelo had a strong calling to do his best at everything that he attempted.

 

“Genius is eternal patience.” – Michelangelo

Michelangelo took hours upon hours of his days making sure his artwork was in accordance with his mind’s plans. He had to have some form of patience in order to reach what he reached. Painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel must have been no easy feat, yet he was able to accomplish one of art’s best pieces. Michelangelo could be said to have had sheer brilliance in everything he partook, but patience must have been among his greatest virtues along with his humility and faith in GOD.

Abraham Lincoln

 

Abraham Lincoln

 

“Whatever you are, be a good one.” – Abraham Lincoln

 

Abraham Lincoln will always be remembered as one of the best presidents in the history of the United States. He united a divided country, freed the people, and made friends of his enemies. With all these accomplishments, it is difficult to know that Lincoln actually endured many failures. However, he strove to continue regardless of the circumstances. He lost a few political races, his first girlfriend passed away, his first businesses did not succeed, he lost a family member, he was overlooked and ridiculed by many people for his appearance and demeanor. It is speculated he suffered from melancholy or maybe even depression. Yet, Abraham Lincoln did not let any of these circumstances change his inner beliefs. He was going to do good in this life regardless of the circumstances. And good he did.

 

“My dream is of a place and a time where America will once again be seen as the last best hope of earth.” – Abraham Lincoln

 

He succeeded in life by going forward with everything he placed his mind to be. He taught himself law by reading books in his cabin. He learned to be one of the best story tellers of the time and poetry writers. He was liked and adored by many. Even when he was ridiculed by people, those same people were later astonished by the hidden genius inside Lincoln. Among these accomplishments, Lincoln rose to the occasion when the country needed him the most. When civilization was collapsing under the wait of sedition and internal strife, Lincoln accepted the responsibility to unify the country. 

 

“You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading today.” – Abraham Lincoln

 

Abraham Lincoln decided to accomplish the most difficult task at the time. With a Civil War starting, Lincoln took his best team of advisors and mounted strategies to unify the country. To say the least, his advisors, were not his friends. They were rather opponents but Lincoln knew the importance of seeing the world from multiple view points. He made sure to use his advisors to learn strategies and know information to make better points. He left ego at home and decided to work together with his political opponents to make a more perfect union. That is something unheard of in today’s times. Instead of uniting together for our own betterment, we are being harnessed to attack each other. We must learn what Lincoln did.

 

“Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends.” – Abraham Lincoln

 

Abraham Lincoln knew that he needed to unite the country and he did with the help of his cabinet. He freed those that were in bondage and fought for a nation that would honor every life the same. He worked to reconstruct the nation that was damaged from within. He will be remembered as the unifier and restorer of the union among the many great accomplishments he did.