Accomplishing Greatness

When I get married…
When I get that promotion…
When I create my own company…
When I finish that race…
When I make more money…
When I break that record…
When I get that award…
…THEN I will be great.

Wrong.

As I sat in Thomas Haas Chocolates with my sis having an incredible conversation, she reminded me what it meant to be great. Like many I know, I frequently look for external validations (like the aforementioned) to assure me of my own value. It’s human nature to consider what other people think of you. Especially when we value things like community, a sense of belonging, and benevolence. Those all involve the participation (and perceptions) of someone other than yourself. And, by involving them, we run the risk of being judged. That, in itself, is terrifying at times. It is this fear that stops us from being great.

As we finished up our delicious soup and hot choco, my sis dropped the truth bomb:

It’s not what you do or where you work – it’s about who you get to be.

Being great begins simply with being. No award, promotion, or recognition can help you in that.
So instead of trying to accomplish greatness, focus on being filled with greatness.

That is the most powerful form of validation one can receive.

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