Why I Consider Myself Fortunate:
- In a world where conflict dominates the nightly news and words of despair are common, I consider myself fortunate to encounter people from all over the world on a daily basis whose lives remind me that there is an abundance of good among us.
- In a day and age when we hear so much about corporate scandals and ethical violations, I consider myself fortunate to work with leaders of countries, CEOs, and first-time supervisors who live lives marked by integrity and moral fortitude.
- In a time when crime, war, natural disasters, and illness are all too frequent, I consider myself fortunate to work alongside law enforcement officers, military specialists, civic administrators, and medical professionals who make significant sacrifices and have noble objectives.
- In an era when parenting and family connections are being tested like never before, I consider myself fortunate to know strong dads and noble moms who work tirelessly to give nourishment and nurturing for their children at all hours of the day and night.
- And, in an age when schools and adolescents are inundated with negativism and sensitive social issues, I consider myself fortunate to know devoted teachers and bright youngsters who are rich in character and determined to making a difference—each in their own way.
- As a consequence, I have a constant urge to push myself in new areas, to search for worthwhile ways to make a difference.
- And when I have a personal goal to improve my life, I find it helpful to have a resource like this body accessible for reading and contemplation.
Let's be honest. Life isn't always easy. The globe is in upheaval, and all signs point to greater turmoil ahead.
- A transition person is someone who interrupts the flow of bad—bad traditions or harmful behaviors that are handed on from generation to generation or from circumstance to situation, whether in a family, a business, a community, or anywhere else.
- Transition people go above their own wants and tap into human nature's deepest, noblest instincts.
- They are lights, not judges, models, not critics, in times of darkness.
- They are change catalysts, not victims, and healers, not carriers, in times of conflict.
EVERYDAY GREATNESS
Every now and then, the world bears witness to a heroic deed or the discovery of a unique ability.
Every now and again, a scientist makes a significant breakthrough or an engineer creates a game-changing technology.
Every ten years or so, a pair of politicians sign a historic peace treaty.
Expensive events honor the greatest actresses, singers, sportsmen, and salesmen every year, while local festivals honor the guy who can eat the most chili peppers or yodel the best.
Such unique occurrences and achievements often emerge in scorching media headlines under the banner of "greatness," and they indeed, in most instances, reflect a kind of greatness worthy of notice and praise.
Many of them reflect important, progressive advancements in society, while others just bring some much-needed flavor and fun to life.
But most people are aware that there is a another kind of greatness, one that is more modest by nature and seldom makes the news.
However, it is a grandeur that, in my view, deserves more recognition and respect.
Everyday Greatness is what I've referred to as "primary greatness" in previous contexts.
It has to do with character and contribution, as opposed to "secondary greatness," which has to do with recognition, money, celebrity, status, or position.
Everyday Greatness is a manner of life, not a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence.
It is represented more by the kindness that emanates from a face than the title on a business card, and it speaks more about who a person is than what he or she possesses.
It is more concerned with people's motivations than with their abilities; it is more concerned with modest and basic acts than with spectacular achievements.
It is modest.
When people are asked to explain Everyday Greatness, they usually provide examples of people they know, such as a farmer who weathers the storms of life year after year, provides for his family, and assists his neighbors.
Or a mother who recognizes she isn't perfect but strives to do her best every day to provide unconditional love to a difficult kid.
They define someone who is always reliable, honest, industrious, and considerate of others, such as a grandmother, a teacher, a coworker, a neighbor, or a friend.
Above all, they define someone who is emulation-worthy, knowing that they don't have to be the next Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, or Mother Teresa to demonstrate Everyday Greatness.
Yes, the individuals they describe when attempting to define Everyday Greatness are the same people I mentioned in the first few paragraphs of this Introduction—those who, despite the bad noise in the world, nevertheless find ways to stand up and contribute positively.
The important thing is that it's all a part of who they are on a daily basis.
THREE EVERYDAY CHOICES
What are the choices we all face that lead to Everyday Greatness? What is the source of the problem? I am sure that the solution resides in three everyday decisions, decisions that everyone of us makes on a daily basis, whether we are aware of them or not.
Daily Choice #1 - THE CHOICE TO ACT
The first decision we make each day is whether we will act on life or be acted upon. Obviously, we have no control over anything that occurs to us.
As one incident follows another, life slams against you like the waves of the ocean. Some occurrences happen by chance and have little or no effect on us. Others practically thrash us.
But we have a choice every day: will we remain like driftwood that drifts along with the tides and currents of the day, or will we take proactive control of our actions and destinations?
On the surface, the decision seems to be straightforward.
After all, who wouldn't want to take control of their lives rather than be controlled by them?
But, in the end, only our actions offer the most accurate answers.
Many individuals claim to desire control over their lives, but then hand over their evening plans to their televisions to decide when and what they will do.
Others claim to have high career ambitions, but then hand up control of their professional growth to their employers. Others claim to desire to uphold strong principles, but then let their integrity shrivel when confronted with resistance.
So, although many individuals claim to want to act on life, it seems that life is acting on them more often than not.
Every narrative of success, on the other hand, depicts a person who decides to act.
They are individuals who understand that, although we may not always have control over what occurs to us, we do have control over how we respond to it.
Some of the individuals are well-known by name, but the majority are not.
Some people make heroic decisions, but the majority do not.
Some people make decisions in public, but the majority do not.
The majority are ordinary individuals making ordinary decisions in their own lives.
I dare you to investigate their lives and decisions.
Check to see if you see the same pattern that I do: people that choose to act get the most out of life and contribute the most.
We have the
ability and responsibility to be the creative force in our own lives—and in our
own futures.
Daily Choice #2 - THE PURPOSE SELECTION.
However, many of us have taken action only to discover that we made bad decisions—decisions that proved to be of little benefit to ourselves or others, and in some cases, even destructive.
As a result, just deciding to act is insufficient.
As a result, the second decision we make every day is very important:
What will be the consequences of our everyday decisions?
We all want to feel valuable, as if our lives matter.
We don't want to be busy for the sake of being busy; we want to be active for the sake of pursuing good goals.
- However, in today's fast-paced world, it's all too easy to hurry through each day without even considering the goals we're chasing, much less stopping long enough to consider the goals we'd most want to achieve.
- As a result, we see a lot of people hurrying from place to place, yet they're actually going nowhere.
- The select individuals, however, are not. From John Baker to Maya Angelou, Luba Gercak to Joe Paterno, a guy who manufactures wheelchairs to a family that rallies around a handicapped kid, all make proactive decisions to pursue important and noble goals—sometimes at considerable danger or personal sacrifice.
They chose to “help people help themselves” by filling each issue with stories, anecdotes, humor—a lot of humor—and practical insights that reinforced the principles of effective liason.
Similarly, those who thrive have to make decisions to pursue good goals, one by one, day by day. I hope you appreciate reading about the goals they set for themselves and that it inspires you to think about your own attempts to live a life of meaning and service.
Daily Choice #3 - THE PRINCIPLES OF CHOICE.
But, of course, none of this is due to chance or magic.
- While I believe in the power of positive thinking, I don't believe that you or I can just think our way to success or happiness.
- Rather, we can only live a life full of purpose and progress—a life of Everyday Greatness—if we act in accordance with timeless, universal truths.
- As a result, the third decision we make every day is whether we will conduct our lives according to established principles or face the repercussions of not doing so.
Despite the fact that it is meant to be humorous, I think the tale below clearly shows the power of values and how they influence our lives and decisions.
On a misty night at sea, a ship's captain saw what seemed to be the lights of another ship approaching him.
He had his signalman make light touch with the othership. “Change your route 10 degrees to the south,” the message said. “Change your route 10 degrees to the north,” was the reply. “I am a captain, therefore you alter your course ten degrees to the south,” the captain said. “I am a first-class seaman—change your course 10 degrees to the north,” says the reply.
The captain was enraged by the previous discussion, so he signaled, “I am a battleship—change your course 10 degrees to the south.” “And I'm a lighthouse,” I respond. “Turn ten degrees north!” says the narrator. (Dan Bell contributed) Despite its playful tone, the message is clear: The size of the ship or the helmsman's status made no difference.
The lighthouse had no intention of altering its path. It was set in stone, unmovable.
The captain was the only one who could decide whether or not to make a course correction.
The lighthouse functions similarly to a principle.
Principles are unchanging, ageless, and universal.
- They don't alter. They don't discriminate based on age, ethnicity, creed, gender, or social position; everyone is susceptible to them.
- Principles, like the lighthouse, offer enduring markers against which individuals may chart their course amid storms and calms, darkness and light.
- Many such principles, or natural laws, have been found in scientific fields thanks to the Einsteins and Newtons of the world.
The four principles of flight, for example, control pilots: gravity, lift, push, and drag.
- Farmers must understand similar concepts, often known as harvest laws. Gymnasts and engineers both deal with physics concepts, such as the laws of opposing forces.
- The principles, however, were not created by pilots, farmers, gymnasts, or engineers, and they cannot be changed. Instead, like the captain of a ship, they must choose whether or not to follow their orders, or face the consequences.
- Because, while values guide action, principles control the outcomes. I am sure that comparable lighthouse principles exist in the human world, and that many of them are gathered together in this body, just as they do in science.
Vision, inventiveness, humility, quality, empathy, magnanimity, persistence, and balance are examples of such principles.
- All of them are ideas that may help us become more successful and satisfied in our lives.
- If you don't believe me, think about how you live your life based on their polar opposites: lack of vision, laziness, vanity, sloppiness, narrow mindedness, vengeance, lack of determination, or unbalance. Those aren't exactly the elements for success.
- Some of the items in this collection were written many years ago.
- However, the fact that they are founded on ideas makes them ageless and relevant—applicable now as well as twenty years from now.
- As you read the stories and observations of individuals, don't get too caught up in the time-frames or the names involved. Instead, concentrate on the ideas and how individuals applied them to their lives.
Consider how you might
utilize the lighthouse principles as beacons to plan your route, evaluate your
progress, and make course corrections in your own quest for Everyday Greatness.
WHERE DO YOU FIND YOURSELF?
So there you have it: the three options that will help you achieve Everyday Greatness.
The decision to act, in a way, symbolizes the energy we bring to life—our willpower.
Our destination—where we choose to go in life and what we choose to accomplish—is represented by our choice of purpose.
The method by which we will get there—how we will achieve our objectives—is determined by the principles we choose.
I think the individuals —those who demonstrate Everyday Greatness in today's world—distinguish themselves by how they respond to these three options.
I also think that such individuals have distinguished themselves at different times in their life by reacting favorably to the same three options.
This, on the other hand, is not about those individuals.
Everything comes down to you. In other words, it is meant to inspire you to reflect on your own life rather than highlighting what others have done or said.
- What you bring to the table on a daily basis.
- What you do with people.
- What you do with your time.
- Whether you're doing a good job or giving it your all.
As a result, I pose the following question:
• Is your life like driftwood being thrown about, or are you instead creating your own waves and heading in the places you want to go?
• What are the goals or objectives of your everyday decisions? What goals or objectives would you want them to achieve?
• Do you live your life according to timeless, universal principles?
These are difficult questions to answer. I hope you take the time to determine your personal answers if you are uncertain or unhappy with any of your responses.
- Each reply serves as a reminder that your life matters, and that your days may be full of purpose and growth regardless of what happens in the world around you.
FINAL THOUGHTS.
I am grateful for the vast amount of knowledge shared by the numerous writers, philosophers, and common heroes, many of whom I personally know and respect.
Each person is an inspiration in their own way. They, like the rest of us, aren't flawless, but they strive for noble acts, which helps to instill in us the belief that we, too, can make a difference.
Finally, I express my admiration for you as a person.
I think you are one of the individuals I mentioned earlier—someone who is already up to good deeds in a world that screams so much chaos; you have unique experiences and skills.
Have faith in them. Use them to improve on the body's numerous insights.
But, above all, choose one of the three options. Take action in your life. Make a commitment to causes that are important and inspiring to you.
Strive to incorporate and follow timeless, universal ideas in your daily life.
As you
do, I am certain that you will experience more pleasure, peace of mind, and a
higher sense of value as a result of living an Everyday Greatness existence.
You may also want to read more Inspirational Words and Quotes here.
