Harriet Tubman is my favorite American hero. Her story is compelling, and a study of her life will show that just like most persons of African descent living in the United States during the 1800’s, she was forced to live under what can only be termed as hellish conditions.

Whippings, rape, starvation and the constant duress that comes from the potential of family separation are only a few of the challenges that Mrs. Tubman and others like her faced daily. You probably know the story of her escaping from slavery and going on to be recognized as the most successful conductor of the Underground Railroad but the event that led to her escape is rarely discussed. Mrs. Tubman overheard a conversation that she was not meant to be hear. During this conversation, her master at the time was negotiating to sell her to a neighboring plantation roughly 8 miles down the road. While 8 miles in terms of distance is not very far…to a slave, it may as well have been a million miles away as movement between plantations by slaves was limited, and in some cases, punishable by death.

Upon hearing of her imminent sale, Mrs. Tubman did one of the most powerful things a person can do with their life…she decided. She decided that she would no longer be bound. She decided that her life was her life and hers alone and that night, she ran away. History shows that she made 19 other trips into the South to ferry family, friends and others to freedom. Before every trip out of the South, Mrs. Tubman would gather her “passengers” and look each one in the eyes before leaving and challenge them to do the same thing she did on that faithful night…decide. Once the decision to leave was made she promised them that the destination would be sweeter than anything that they could have ever imagined.

I don’t know your situation but nothing in my life even remotely compares to the conditions that those brave souls faced but the one commonality in their lives and ours is that at some point…a decision must be made. Life is too short to be held the chains of unhappiness and being content to just exist; decide to truly begin living. Once you execute your escape plan and begin living the life that has truly been planned for you and once you become free: be like Mrs. Tubman and go back to the other side and help ferry others to freedom. There is a destination, a place, a beautiful place designed just for you but in order to reach that place…you must first…Decide.