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Potential Greatness

12 Jul

Everyone is different. We all have our share of problems, talents, gifts, and drawbacks. Nobody gets all the good stuff or all the bad stuff. Everyone has a combination of things that make them feel confident, and things that try their patience. And every day we all have the potential for greatness. Not greatness in the worldly sense, like becoming President or world leaders, but greatness in the human sense. We can be great assets to those around us, great examples for good, and great inspirations to everyone we come in contact with. The potential is there, but potential does not guarantee we’ll gain those qualities. Potential is unrealized expectation. We have the ability to become great but we have to realize it, and we have to express it.

It’s easy to skate through life. We can do just enough to get by, we can be just nice enough to get what we want, and we can share just enough of ourselves that we are accepted. It takes effort to do more. We are all certainly capable of more, but that requires time, and it requires attention. Instead of choosing to do just enough to get by, if we want to be great, we need to choose to do the best we can all the time. Instead of being just nice enough to get what we want, we must choose to extend ourselves for others, and help whenever help is needed. And instead of sharing just enough to be accepted, we have to be fully engaged, fully participating, and actively involved.

Mediocrity is easy. We don’t have to do much, or give much. It’s easy to blend in. But it’s not as rewarding or fulfilling as pushing ourselves to be the best we can be. When we push for greatness we learn to feel things more deeply, and we become a higher version of ourselves. We can always be more than we are. We can be more sensitive, more understanding, more compassionate, and more human. If everyone tried to be the best they could be, the world would become a far different place. There would be more love and less conflict, more sharing and less greed, more caring and less indifference. It would be a better place, and we can do our part to make that happen.

Today as you go about your life, as you take care of your details, as you interact with others, remember you have the potential for greatness within you. It’s already there waiting to be expressed. Today do something more to extend that to those around you. Use your potential to the fullest. You have the power to change the world. Today think about how you could change it for good.

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My Hero

4 Jul

When we’re young, we are often fascinated by comic book heroes. They have magical, impressive powers, and we love the way they always save the day. There is no end to their bravery, and they always, always do the right thing. As we get older, we may lose our fascination with the comic book hero, but we still want heroes in our lives. We admire people who are brave, who stand up for what’s right in the face of danger, and who risk themselves to protect others. Those qualities are so impressive, and when we see them, it reminds us that we can be heroes even if we aren’t Superman, or Spiderman, or any of the others we used to read about.

We can all be heroes in our lives. We can make choices every day to stand up for what we believe is right. We don’t have to leap tall buildings, or be faster than a speeding bullet. Sometimes all we have to do is speak up when someone is being hurt. Sometimes all we have to do is say no when we’re asked to do something we feel is wrong. And sometimes, we may get the opportunity to do something really impressive – save a life, stop an injustice, or protect someone we love. But those extreme opportunities don’t come along often, so the small decisions we make every day prove who we are.

There have been people in all of our lives who have impressed us. They’ve done things that were noble and inspired, and things that were heroic. I have a friend who works a full time job but finds time every week to volunteer to help the poor and needy. He gives his time at the local food bank, and he and his family regularly help out at the local shelters. No matter how busy he is, he makes the time to help others. He’s a hero to those he helps, and an inspiration to everyone. I have another friend who struggles with a learning problem. It’s hard for her to communicate, it’s hard for her to read, and it’s hard for her to understand complex ideas. But she is always cheerful, always helpful, and always sets an amazing example. She’s loved by everyone who knows her.

In this day and age, where everything is blown out of proportion, where we’re often expected to be perfect, we can feel like our lives are small, and don’t really count. But when we stand up for what’s right, we are noble. When we defend the downtrodden, we are courageous. When we push forward, despite heavy obstacles, we are brave. All of these characteristics make us heroes. We are heroic because we choose what’s best.

Today if you think your life is small, if you think your contributions are minimal, stop, and think again. Think about the times you’ve spoken out for what was right, and helped those around you. You are more courageous than you think you are. You have goodness in you, and when you choose to show it to others, you are a hero. Be the very best you can be. Be an example for the world. You have that in you. Let it shine.

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Eenie Meenie

2 Jul

We make dozens of choices every day. Some are inconsequential – what we’ll have for breakfast, what color shirt we’ll wear, or when we’ll go to the gym. Other decisions have more weight, and those take a little more thought. Generally, whatever decisions we have to make, there will be options. Sometimes there will be a lot of options, which seems like it would make the decision easier, but can actually make it harder to choose. Before we start to decide anything we first have to determine where we want things to be end at the end of the decision, and how we want things to look after we’ve decided. If we take the time to think about those things before choosing, we’ll make our decisions more confidently, and be happier with the result.

When we have heavy, difficult decisions to make, the process is usually complicated. Say you’ve been offered a great new job, and you’re excited about it, but the new position requires you to move to another state. Your friends, and family are located where you are now. The new job would be a great change for you, and even though everyone says they would support your move, you aren’t sure. Or perhaps you’re in a relationship that is fine, but not going anywhere. You feel like it’s time to move on but you know if you do that, the other person is going to be hurt. You don’t want to hurt anyone, but you really feel like it’s time for a change. What will you do? These are tough decisions to make. You have to weigh a lot. You have to consider a lot. It will take time to process all the parameters. When we are making hard decisions, it’s important that we give ourselves the time we need to evaluate everything, and then feel confident that we’ve chosen the best road forward. Jumping to answers quickly rarely works, and can cause greater complications in the end. If we take the time we need, and make our decisions after careful thought, we’ll make them more confidently.

There are times in our lives when it doesn’t matter which way we choose. Sometimes whatever we decide will be fine, and sometimes that doesn’t help. If it doesn’t matter which way we go, the decision can actually be harder to make. It seems like it would be easier, but when all the choices are good, it can be hard to choose. But if we take some time to decide what we really want, we will choose well. Making decisions is a part of our lives every day. They take practice, but often before we decide, we already know what we want to do. We already know which way we really want to go. But sometimes even knowing, we still need to take some time so we are comfortable, and then we just need the courage to choose it, and go forward.

Today if you have a decision looming that you haven’t quite determined how you’ll navigate, take some time to weigh all the options. How will your decision make you feel? How will you go forward from there? How will it affect your life? Will it take you closer to where you want to be? Take your time. Whatever you do, if you choose the path you want the most, you will be happy. You are in control of every choice you make. You have everything you need to make the best choice possible, and you will. You know what’s best for you. Choose that.

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Three Seconds

7 Jun

Think about the immense nature of time. When we think of how long the universe has been in existence, how long the earth has been here, and we ponder eternity, it’s hard to grasp. Eternity – a concept where time always was, and always will be. Forever both ways is difficult to understand. We have finite minds, and things with beginnings and endings make sense to us. Thinking about things that continue forever is almost impossible to comprehend. And if we ponder time overall, we understand how enormous it is. When we compare that to our lives, we realize that the period of time we spend on earth is really but a moment. Even if our lives are long, they are but a snapshot when compared to the everlasting nature of time itself.

Think of our time here as three seconds. We have three seconds to live this life, make all our decisions, and try to learn as much as we can. Three seconds. It goes by fast. It goes by faster when we’re busy, and we’re all busy. But even as it races by, we have the chance to make an impact. We can change the world in small ways. But we can only do that if we pay attention, and don’t put things off.

Small choices every day have the potential to create big changes. If we want to create those changes, we must be aware of who we are, and learn to share what we can with those around us. If we take the time to notice others, and do our part to impact their lives for good, we can initiate great change. We can move mountains. We are all connected in more ways than we realize. We are all here together.

One way to effect change is to be kind. Kindness has incredible power to make the world better. Lives can be changed through small acts of kindness. Extending the hand of friendship to someone who is lonely, listening to someone who is suffering, helping someone who is lost find their way – all can change the world for good. Just saying hello to someone as you pass them has the ability to lift spirits. We don’t have to win a Nobel prize, we don’t have to climb Mt. Everest, and we don’t have to invent something that revolutionizes the world. If we’re just kind every day to those around us, we can have an enormous impact for good. Others will notice, and some will follow our example. Then, some of those they touch will do the same, and the impact of one small act of kindness will create an expansive ripple effect for good.

We don’t all have big lives. We aren’t all rulers, kings, and leaders. But we all have the ability to change the world. We have three seconds. Use them to be kind. Use them to be caring. Today, use them for good. Make an impact. You have the power to change the world. Use that power today.

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