Be Great.
All of us desire to be great, but for each of us that means something a little bit different. Exploring the concept is important but not as useful as how we create more of it in our lives. I was inspired this morning in the shower to dig into what "great" means and how we go about getting more of it. What's the point? There is nothing wrong with 'good.' Good is a step above 'not bad,' which suggests that there's an active component involved to help us make sure we're doing the right thing. But there's nothing inspirational about 'good.' It's not passionate or bold, which we need for an inspired life.
Ordinary greatness My example of greatness is urbane and commonplace by intention. It illustrates that greatness is a habit of being and not a singular outcome. As I drove to the train station this morning, I pulled out onto a county road where the posted speed limit was 55 mph and accelerated to my typical 58-60. This morning, a white car came up on me fairly quickly and got close enough I could no longer see its front bumper. This kind of situation can rile us - get us thinking about how inconsiderate the other driver is and how we deserve this patch of road as much as anyone else. All kinds of thoughts can manifest, in particular those suggesting that the other driver believes herself or himself to be more important than we are.
This morning, I felt a slight tension in my chest and used that as a signal to generate replacement thoughts. I imagined this other driver nervous behind the wheel. She or he left the house a little later than hoped and was heading to a really important meeting - maybe a job interview. Once I had this image in my head, I glanced in my rear view mirror and felt a sense of encouragement for the driver. Now I wanted the other driver to get to the destination on time. I kept my hands calmly on the wheel and brought my defensive driving mindframe to the surface, considering how I might respond with my own vehicle if there was any kind of issue I might have to face, like a stopped vehicle in front of me. A minute later, I turned right and the other vehicle turned left.
Great begins as inner commitment to respond to situations with a particular grace. Internal situations include feelings and perceptions that arise. When anger shows up, letting it persist isn't our greatness shining through. However, when anger, irritation or frustration show up and we notice it, consciously manage it and release its energy appropriately, that’s one small exhibition of greatness.
“Always do what you are afraid to do.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Don’t try to be great at just one thing
This is a bit of a controversial statement, and we all know that we get more mileage out of our strengths than our weaknesses. Being great is indeed matter of focus and attention, but it doesn't have to be a myopic focus on just one aspect of life or a skill or talent. Greatness is in each of us and available in every moment, always ready to be unleashed. When we act with greatness in small ways throughout our life, it shows up later in big ways as well when we open ourselves and when we are engaged in activities we enjoy. Don’t save being great for just those one or two areas that you believe primarily define you. Great isn't the same as perfect. Greatness doesn't mean flawless or without failure. Greatness has roots in resilience, where we are able to rise from the rubble, dust ourselves off and try again. Greatness is a way of showing up persistently, and greatness is usually the ongoing outcome of persisting with positivity through many failures. A gold medal speed skater isn’t just great when she wins - she’s great when she doesn’t.
Finding more greatness To foster more greatness in the small things and the big ones, consider a couple of small tweaks to habits you probably have already and some easy additions. These three practices over a few weeks will produce big results.
1. Create little spaces for insight. Great ideas originate in the shower for me because I’m in a pseudo meditative state where insights can appear. The shower might not work for you, but you already know when and where your big ideas come from. The next time you go for a run, take your dog for a walk or sit on the front porch with a cup of coffee, set an intention to connect with great ideas. As and then capture them in a notebook right away before they escape. The key here is being intentional. Be open to the fact that insights don't always happen when you're in this space.
2. Use daily situations. The next time that impatience wells up when you're sitting in traffic, use it as an opportunity to connect with the concept of greatness. Observe the impatience and identify where you feel it in your body. Remind yourself of the connection between allowing impatience to dissolve and the inner greatness you create when this happens. This may seem like a small win, but the cumulative effect of this mindset over even a couple of weeks is incredibly powerful.
3. Journal your greatness. Keep a notepad on your nightstand and jot down three instances of greatness from the day. Don't focus on "big wins" - record when you exercised serenity during a potentially controversial meeting at work or when you shaved 2 seconds off of your normal lap pace.
Be great!
