3 Powerful Lessons From Martin Luther King That Will Impact Your Career

While many of us will surely be enjoying the day off in recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, there is much that can be learned from Dr. King’s words that can make us better co-workers, friends and members of society.

Here are some choice quotes and concepts, straight from MLK’s book, that we can all add to our own as we scrawl our life story.

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

Jumping into the professional world requires a serious leap of faith, both in yourself and the industry you are jumping into. It’s important to remind yourself each and every day that you can do this. Entry-level life can be extremely daunting but keeping faith in your abilities and potential is paramount to sticking it out for the end game.

Faith in your industry will dictate where it is you want to go. Sometimes the path to the top (or “the whole staircase”) is very clear. You’re entry-level, then you’re an assistant, then you’re an executive. More often than not, however, it is much more complicated than that. At this point, there are a million ways to succeed and a-million-and-one ways to fall short. Keep faith in what you are doing and why you are doing it. The top of the ladder might only be a glimmering dream as you walk by the corner office, but it’s so very important to take everything one step at a time.

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”

One of the hardest things to focus on during the stressful early days of your career is anything but yourself. Becoming an adult is harder than anyone expects it to be and with all of the responsibilities on top of your actual job, it doesn’t just seem like a lot of work, it is a lot of work.

While it’s very easy to get bogged down in your own issues and focus solely on what you can do to further your career, it’s important to recognize that what you’re doing for others is what is going to distinguish you. Focus on helping people; you'd be surprised at how good karma can pay off in your life and career.

Don’t Just Follow Your Dreams, Stand Up For Them

MLK had a dream, a dream of unity and peace transcending ages of racial divide and injustice. While we have a long way to go to fully realizing that dream, unity is a concept that can bolster just about everything we strive for. No matter what your aspirations, very few things worth accomplishing can be accomplished alone. Never turn yourself off from the opportunity to work with someone, regardless of how you think you feel about them. You will never know the potential they hold until you give them a chance.

The same can be said for yourself and as I’ve said before, have faith. Believe in the goals you strive to achieve and the principles you stand for. Do not stray from or abandon them idly, whether at work or in the real world. Fortune favors the bold and while MLK’s dream started as just that, a dream, it has manifested itself into reality in many ways. So too can your dreams.