My Sunday Thought for 08072016: Being Truly Great

"I believe that if you get involved in competition at a really young age, you have a false sense of the reality of true talent. You get stuck on learning how to win something instead of learning how to be truly great at your craft."

-- Aubrey O'Day, singer-songwriter, actress

The stairway to true greatness lies before you.  You can stand there and stare at it until hell freezes, or you can take the first step on the climb of your life.  But, before you start, ask yourself, "Why?"  Then, when you are satisfied with why you are making the climb, maybe you should think about what you're going to do after you reach the top, since the major problem with the top is... it's the top.

Someone can be a talented guitarist and blues singer, but unless they've experienced what it takes to sing the blues, they will never be truly great except to those that didn't grow up listening to the "greats" of the blues genre.  And those "greats" might have made a ton of money but, truth be known, they enjoy a smoky bar stage more than an auditorium full of people.  They enjoy a street corner jam session with friends more than a backup band for the album.  They enjoy their art more than their fame.

“Who is more humble? The scientist who looks at the universe with an open mind and accepts whatever the universe has to teach us, or somebody who says everything in this book must be considered the literal truth and never mind the fallibility of all the human beings involved?” 

-- Carl Sagan (1934-1996), astrophysicist, author

What do you when you finally reach the top, the end of your path? If that’s where you want to be, then you do nothing. But, for the truly great, for those who truly enjoy their craft, the end of the path is simply an opportunity to blaze a new trail of discovery. It isn't about the destination; after all, it is about the journey. It isn't whether you win or lose; it's about how you play the game. The best can never be truly great without a strong sense of humility. Without humility you're either a talented ass, or just an ass.

“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.”

-- Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961), novelist, journalist

The truly great are a humble lot.

“A great man is always willing to be little.”

― Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), essayist, poet

If you weren't brought up by parents or mentors with a concept of what it takes to be truly great in your own right, I can only point you to the best advice available from one of the greatest, yet most humble person I can think of.  One may not start out on their path with thoughts of greatness.  Many times greatness is what overtakes us in our endeavor.  How we deal with this greatness and notoriety says much about who we are and how others view us in the context of friend, teacher, or leader.  It also says much about how we will be remembered by society and history.

Carefully watch your thoughts, for they become your words. Manage and watch your words, for they will become your actions. Consider and judge your actions, for they have become your habits. Acknowledge and watch your habits, for they shall become your values. Understand and embrace your values, for they become your destiny.

 -- Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948), civil rights philosopher

As usual, I beat this post out this morning before coffee... yeah, that would have been about 5:30.  I polished it and put it through spell and grammar check this evening, reread it knowing full well that the League of the Perpetually Offended would find some reason not to like it, decided I really didn't care what they thought, and added my "Get Out of Jail Free" card to the bottom, as I always do when the deal is sealed.  Should I take more time to be "politically correct" with my posts?  Do you really want me to blow smoke up your collective ass?  I think not.

In my own eyes, I will never be "truly great."  What I will always try to be is honest and humble; it is all any of us can strive for.  As a self-admitted hypocrite and sinner, I will probably continue to fail at this much, but I will always come back into the fray with renewed vigor.  I remember my past, live in my present, and know my future.  This is my path, and life is good.

It isn't what you can be, what you achieve, or how high you can climb.  It is why you dream, why you achieve, and why you climb, that dictates why you exist, and why you exist defines, in no small measure, the kind of person you truly are.

Be truly great!

A great man is always willing to be little; 

the little man has yet to understand how great he already is.

Editor's Note 

(re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card) 

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider another viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, and instructor. He is founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance and author/editor of the Congregation's official blog site, "The Path," which offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination.