How GOOD can become the enemy of GREAT!

By Jernavis Draughn

When was the last time you heard the term great in regards to a product, person or service? When was the last time you watched a great movie, or heard a great song, or had a great meal? I think our society has accepted being average because it’s the easiest route to take.

Our biggest competition in life is mediocrity. Winston Churchill said,” The price of greatness is   responsibility.” To become great in anything, one must first start with making the decision followed by taking some time to self-reflect on how you want to be remembered and commit to the process.

In the book “Motivation Manifesto”, by Brand Burchard, he discusses the 9 virtues of greatness. These virtues have to be practiced in order for you to reach the level of greatness in anything you do.

  1. Let us demand honesty
  2. Let us demand responsibility
  3. Let us demand actions
  4. Let us demand courage
  5. Let us demand respect for others
  6. Let us demand vigilance
  7. Let us demand service
  8. Let us demand intelligence
  9. Let us demand unity

What makes a service, product or a person great? I think it’s predicated on whether you have discovered a purpose for your life, and you have enlisted daily rituals that contribute to you reaching your goals. You have to create a vision that provides clarity and drives you to exercise daily growth. In the bible it says, “Where’s there’s no vision, people parish.” Anyone that has accomplished anything great in life, had a compelling vision for what they wanted to do.

Most people don’t believe they can become great at anything. We have to create a winners mindset. All behavior is belief driven and we become our standards. As Alan Cohen states, “all limits exist only in the mind, and it is only in the mind that they can be overcome!’

We can all name businesses, inventions, and people that have achieved greatness in the eyes of our society. The decision to leave the world a better place than how you found it, starts your marathon of making a difference. Additionally, focusing on giving more than you receive, helps you complete the first lap in the marathon of life.

We must commit daily to growing emotionally, spiritually, physically, financially and mentally.  Become immersed in self-mastery and providing world class service or production in your chosen field. Selecting this course will help you complete the second lap in the marathon of life. Coincidentally, leading with your life and not your words, will help you survive the third lap in the marathon of life. Finally, by giving and showing love continuously to everyone you are blessed to meet in the marathon of life will help you complete the last lap.

When you feel unmotivated, uninspired, negative, you start back at the first lap and repeat the process. Success is a marathon, not a sprint! Becoming great is a decision that we must all make to reach our goals and to live the life we desire. Make the decision TODAY!

Quote of the Day: “You were designed for accomplishment, engineered for success, and endowed with the seeds of greatness.”-Zig Ziglar

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *