Greatness

"I am the greatest" -Muhammad Ali

This quote was uttered by arguably the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time.  Many people who read this will take it the wrong way.  When you consider what Ali was saying, what comes to your mind?  Do you think him cocky?  Is his brashness something that turns you off?  Are you one who thinks that a person needs to show some humility and not speak in such a manner? 

If so, this article is for you.

Greatness Is Misunderstood

Greatness is one of the most misunderstood terms in the English language.  While many seem to know it when we see it, few can define it.  At the same time, greatness as a goal is something that we are conditioned to avoid.  Humility is a characteristic that we are taught is admirable to strive for.  However, going after greatness is viewed as arrogant.

Are you the greatest?  If you are like most people, you are not even close.  The average person tends to excel at mediocrity at best.  Few having the desire nor mindset to strive for greatness.  Instead they justify the shortcomings using many different rationalizations.  Ultimately, the outcome is the acceptance of mediocrity.

But the question arises, why should you not be the greatest?  What is wrong with setting out to achieve this in whatever you do?  The truth is someone has to be the greatest in every endeavor.  Right now, someone is the greatest basketball player on the planet.  There is also a person who occupies the spot as greatest attorney.  Somewhere out there is the greatest schoolteacher walking the face of the Earth.  And finally, the greatest salesperson in the world is out helping people enjoy his/her company's product.

Yet rarely do we see a person set out to be great.  Instead, an assortment of other ideas are put forth as a goal.  Regardless of what it is, the end result is usually mediocrity.  Perhaps it is time to set your sights a great deal higher.

It Is Within Everyone

Greatness is something that resides within each and every person on this planet.  The truth is the world is full of underachievers.  The human potential is absolutely incredible.  What the average person is capable of is beyond comprehension for most.  However, what most people achieve is so underwhelming it is disgusting.  If people would tap in to even 15% of their potential, most of the world's present problems would vanish in a short period of time.  Instead, most sit back and waste their life going through their mundane existence.

Excuse making is an international pastime.  To start, people in the Western cultures have distinct advantages over those who were born into parts of the world where extreme poverty reigns supreme.  The truth is that anyone in America has no excuse for not succeeding.  Claiming poverty is a horsecrap excuse.  Americans have no idea what poverty is.  If you want poverty, move to Haiti.  That is true poverty.  Western cultures offer more opportunities than people know what to do with.  Yet too many are conditioned to deny themselves greatness.

Therefore, it is time to change your outlook and decide to be great.  This is something that you are 100% capable of being.  You just need to exercise your ability to embrace it.

Get Started Right Now

People mistakenly believe that greatness is a one time event or a conclusion that is reached.  This simply is another part of the misunderstanding.  Greatness comes from being able to apply oneself as best he/she can each and every moment of the day.  Regardless of the activity, it is crucial that you be 100% present in that moment and do that task properly.  Successful people know that it is much easier to perform the action properly the first time as opposed to having to go back and do it again.  This is part of the conditioning that one needs.

Michael Jordan was considered by most to be the greatest basketball player on the planet in his time.  Obviously, he had natural skills that most others did not.  Yet, that is only part of the reason for his success.  The biggest piece was his willingness to work over the years to attain the level of greatness he desired.  Also, when his skills were honed and he was playing at the highest level against the best in the world, Jordan was known for his ability to focus in the most pressure filled situations.  His desire and level of concentration far exceeded even the greatest of athletes in the world.  In this regard, he was the greatest.  And this manifested in the results on the court.

No matter what you are doing in the next hour, approach that task like it is the 7th game of a playoff series.  Attain the mindset that it is the most important thing happening in the world.  If you are going to wash the dishes, do the very best job you can.  This mundane chore can exemplify your commitment level to greatness.  Again, greatness is the result of many actions taken over a long period of time.  It is best to adopt the mindset so you can set out after it now.  

Greatness is within you.  Embrace this idea so that it can transform your life.  The time to start is now.   

   

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