What makes most people want to reach for the stars? Motivates them to be their best? Or invent world-changing ideas for the advancement of humanity? I say it’s the greatness that emerges from God himself, which empowers the human spirit, which engenders a powerful, creative force to maximize the gifts and talents each one of us is born with.
When we think of greatness, the names of sport figures, scientists, musicians, painters, sculptors, spiritual sages, literary geniuses, and others primarily come to mind. But it isn’t limited to just them. Greatness can also exemplify being a great parent, a great worker, a great coach, a great servant out in the community … all the way down to you and me.
True, some have used their gifts and talents for evil (never emulate them). The Hitlers, the Mussolinis, the Stalins, the Pol Pots, and others have all used their greatness to cause suffering, misery, and pain. Yet under the same mantle we have the Churchills, the Roosevelts, the Thomas Jeffersons, the Benjamin Franklins, and many more who have contributed for the betterment of our world (imitate them).
All of us come wired with the aspiration for greatness. Sadly, some of us choose to suppress it, never allowing it to reach its full potential.
You may know the story of novelist Anthony Burgess. He’s the author of more than 70 books, and wrote a famous book called, “A Clockwork Orange”. At the age of 40, he was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor and was given one year to live. Upon hearing this detrimental news, he decided to become a writer (knowing he had the potential) so that he could leave funds to his wife. He went ahead and wrote five novels in one year and became a published author. Subsequently, he did not die. His cancer went into remission and continued writing into his later years.
We shouldn’t follow that same pattern to begin to work on our greatness. We shouldn’t wait until some precarious crisis awakens the greatness in us.
Another disablement of greatness is fear. Fear that if you show your talents you might get rejected. Fear that if you become too successful you won’t be able to handle it. Fear that if you fail you won’t be able to face the disappointment. This is irrational thinking.
I love how Marianne Williamson’s poem puts it:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people the permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
How are you manifesting your greatness at this stage of your life? Are you allowing your God-given abilities to shine brightly in your everyday living? Or are you allowing fear, setbacks, laziness, discouragement, or criticism to suppress them?
You are destined for greatness. There is no other way to say it. And if you happen to not know what your God-given talents are, simply pray to the Spirit of the universe to reveal it unto you. There’s nothing more exhilarating than to know what your gifts and talents are – and to put them to use. There’s nothing more fulfilling than to know what you are supposed to be doing in this world.
Smile, there’s greatness in you.
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Edwin Rubis is a spiritual life coach and mentor. He’s confined in federal prison serving a 40-year sentence for a non-violent marijuana offense. You can e mail Edwin: edwinrubis@aol.com – or text him: (256) 695-0223 or donate
