The Gift of Greatness

When you're doing the important work of trying to make the world a better place, it's easy to sometimes get discouraged. Often, you might feel like you are working so hard, giving your whole heart, and not seeing the tangible results of your efforts. Maybe the kids you're working with don't say thank you very often, or at all. Maybe you struggle at the end of the month to pay your bills and you think about giving up and going out and getting that higher-paying job. Hey, you might not be doing what you love, you tell yourself, but at least you won't have to be constantly checking your bank balance.

And then something happens that makes you stop in your tracks and remember why the work you do is so important. Maybe you have a life-changing conversation with a like-minded person who validates the work you are doing and the path you are traveling in life. Or maybe you hear from a former student, who tells you - all these years later - that you are the ONE person who they want to thank for helping them get to college or started on that career path they love. Or maybe you read an article in the local paper and you see a need that you and/or your organization can help fill. And you make a phone call, and this phone call turns into a professional connection that revives you.  

Or maybe you just wake up one morning, after an especially challenging day, or week, or month, and you realize that what you believe can often determine your path in life. And you remember that the gift of greatness lies on the inside.

I tell people often that we all need to stop looking on the outside for greatness. True greatness is the ability of each and every one of us to say, no matter what challenges we face, we will continue to live the life we were destined to live. And that, sometimes, is the only thing we need to keep on going.