Harriet Tubman lived a life in which she constantly fought for what she believed was right. Our current social and political climate provides many opportunities where we are called to act like Harriet and stand up for what we believe in. In light of this, here are four lessons we can draw from Harriet Tubman’s life that are still applicable today.
1 – Follow Your Internal Moral Compass
Even from a young age, Harriet Tubman was able to see right from wrong. At age 12, Harriet stepped in when a slave owner was about to strike a slave with a heavyweight. The weight hit her instead and caused her to have headaches and narcolepsy for the rest of her life. However, her moral compass knew that striking the slave was wrong so she intervened, despite the consequences, based on what her moral compass told her was the right thing to do. Thus, in our current lives, we must act like Harriet and stand up for what we believe is right, even if it may be difficult.
2 – Don’t be Afraid to Take Actions that Serve a Greater Purpose
Harriet Tubman is perhaps best known for her role as a conductor of the Underground Railroad. She risked her life on countless occasions to serve the greater purpose of freeing slaves from their oppression. Again, we can look at her brave actions and be reminded of the importance of acting towards the greater good.
3 – Transform your Appeared Weaknesses into Strength
During the Civil War, Harriet Tubman worked as a Union spy. She was successful in this role because she was a black woman, so people did not anticipate her to be involved in the war effort. This fact can be an inspiration to us to use our weakness as strengths both in situations where we are standing up for what we believe in and in everyday life.
4 – Always Help Others in Need
Even towards the end of her life, Harriet kept helping others in need. She opened a home for elderly people and was involved in the women’s suffrage movement. She is again an inspiration through her constant efforts to help people. So, we must remember to act like Harriet and help people whenever we find the opportunity.
Whether it be the end of slavery or women’s rights, Harriet had a strong sense of right and wrong and was never afraid to stand up for what she believed in. Therefore, when we are put into situations where we feel like we need to stand up for what we feel is right, we can look at and draw inspiration from Harriet Tubman.