Greatness

Photo by Elena de Soto on UnsplashWe all want to be Great. We dream of it and thirst for it. But are we committed to it? Is Greatness worth the sacrifice.…. Greatness is not a word; it's a mindset. We daydream about the accolades, the smiles, and the applause. Surrounded by friends and admirers, We dream of exchanging smiles and High-fives. And if the moment is truly remarkable, we are whisked from our feet and carried by well-wishes high above their shoulders. Crowds cheer for you. And we stand there relishing that magical moment. And we freeze that moment in our mind's eye, willfully cherishing every moment in an attempt to freeze time. The best moment of our lives is suspended in time and space. 

But that road to Greatness is lonely, bitter, cold, and complex, without a place to rest or catch your breath. You are forced to continue, doubting whether it is worth the effort. You are mocked, ridiculed, belittled, and taunted along the way. You check yourself and drive forward, even if your body, friends, and family try to convince you to quit. You let your stubbornness overrule them all, and you keep going and pushing forward despite the pain. Stumbling at first, you pick yourself up and shake off the failures. Pounding with each step forward, moving into a faster tempo, pushing on, pushing hard, and ignoring the pain is needed to become great.

Principle of Trust

The first principle to master is Trust. It is what a leader embodies. Put your faith in me, and I will deliver what you desire. Trust is a rare commodity in society. We will pay for it, whatever the asking price, because Trust is not negotiable. Everyone is willing to pay the fee for better quality to faster service. And believe me, many people are happy to pay for Trust in exchange for peace of mind. If something threatens you, there is no hesitation; give me the best. I want this problem handled quickly and smoothly. If your life is threatened by cancer or disease, we whisk away our loved ones to the best doctor or hospital we can find. If our safety or livelihood is threatened, we seek the best advisors, accountants, and lawyers to guide us during the calamitous moments of our lives. We don't think twice; we will reach deep down in our pockets and scrape every penny to have that peace of mind.

To be great, you must earn the Trust of your friends, coworkers, and clients. And it is not a small task. You must deliver on every promise, day in and day out. Again and again. It would be best if you had every promise, no matter how great or small. Fail once or twice, and that Trust becomes harder to reclaim. It is like first impressions; you may not get a second chance.

Even your competition will earn your Trust. They will respect you. And they will go from bad-mouthing you to comparing themselves to you. The greatest compliment an opponent can offer is to use you as a measuring stick to their capabilities. Your adversaries will say, "I am just as good as he is, I am just as fast as she is," or "I am just as great as they are." So your competition has also earned your Trust in the form of respect. 

The Principle of Perfection

Perfection has a double meaning. It means to be flawless, without stain or blemish, and also model means complete or finished. So when you think of perfection, think of the double meaning. The task or product is flawless and cannot be improved upon. Don't expect a better outcome next year; the best is here and now. People want the best to last them forever. Think of your Sunday best, you wear it on special occasions, and it never goes out of style. It's a classic. It's that blue suit you wear to Church on Easter and Christmas, to weddings and special occasions. It's that evening dress you wear on that particular night out on the town that makes you feel "drop-dead gorgeous" every time and all the time.

The path to Greatness is to provide the best to all you serve and to all you touch. It's not the best you can do, but the best there is. Nothing can replace it or outdo it. It is saying the right thing at the right time and moment. It's that smile that gives you a warm feeling inside. That pat on the back makes you pick yourself up from a failure and drives you toward succeeding the next time. It is that little extra that makes a world of difference. 

The Principle of Expectation

But what is perfection? It's simple. It's exceeding the expectations that people have of you. You give more than what they expect. When they receive much more than they wish, any honorable and average individual will reciprocate the gesture of giving in excess. In the grand scheme of things, everyone wins. So give in abundance, and you will receive in abundance. And by giving in abundance, it will never be forgotten.

Let me digress and tell you the story of a twelve-year-old country girl. She was responsible for kneading the dough and baking the bread for the evening's supper. The neighbor's boy, hungry but too timid to ask, kept staring at the girl as she kneaded the bread outside before the brick oven. The girl had a good heart, kneaded an extra loaf of bread, and secretly gave the loaf to the starving boy. Every other day, she made bread, and she gave a loaf to the wide-eyed and starving little boy every other day. It was after the war, and many families barely survived. The girl could not help but give the boy some bread because he was pale and bone thin from starvation. The little girl grew up and became married at the very young age of sixteen. She left the village and finally returned to her hometown after fifty years. She had inherited her parent's house. The old stone house, over the years, had the roof rafters fallen from the rot. The girl wanted to return to her childhood village. So she set out to build a house anew. She knocked on the neighbor's door. The little boy she gave loaves of bread to years ago had grown up and lived in that house. She politely asked, "Excuse me, kind neighbor, but I have a huge favor to ask of you. I intend to demolish the house and build a new house instead. May the builders of my new house use your water and electricity until I can get my permits for electricity and water?"

The old man looked at her and smiled, "Tina don't you recognize me? I'm the thin starving little boy you used to give a loaf of bread. Of course, you may have it and anything else you desire. What is mine is yours." The woman smiled with joy, realizing he was the little boy she had given the loaves of bread back then. She immediately threw her arms around him and hugged him dearly. Not so much that he granted her a favor, but she sincerely was overjoyed to see him again after so many years.

The Principle Of Sacrifice

This is the saddest part of Greatness. For unwillingly and sometimes unwittingly, we give up something precious toward Greatness. For some, the price is too great. Many sacrifice their youth, time with their family, the love of their life, and time with their children. For me missing out on the love of my life and the sacred moments that my children jump from one milestone to the next are not worth the sacrifice. So if you have dreams of Greatness, think again about the principle of sacrifice. Is the price of Greatness worth the sacrifice of your steadfast love, your family, or even your life and soul?

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