Greater Things

Do you believe yourself to be destined for greater things? Not this mundane, ordinary life that you've been conditioned to lead but a life full of excitement and praiseworthy accolades? You should do. Then I ask:

What separates the average Joe Bloggs from the Steve Jobs and Oprah Winfrey's of this world? 

We all know the answer to that of course, it's a tale as old as time itself - hard work.
Among other skills, their absolute dedication to their craft, obsession with the final product and willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty is what makes iconic individuals celebrated and unforgettable.

However, the individuals that will go down in the history books were not always great. Indeed, they were too leading mundane ordinary lives. The sole distinction between Joe Bloggs off the street and them is that they had unwavering faith in themselves. They carried the belief that someday they will be great with absolute conviction. That is the subtle but all important distinction. You need to wholeheartedly believe you can do it before attempting to convince the rest of the world that you can. And then? You have to strive for greatness. Michael Jordan and The Beatles did not get into the record books of their respective fields because they were content with being second. They went on to be the best because they were never fully satisfied with their craft or themselves, pushing to the end of their human capabilities to obtain a degree of achievement that is awarded to few in this world.

We must continuously strive for greatness. For only people with the necessary insatiable hunger, drive and ambition will be renowned and remembered the world over. When it comes down to it, even if you entered this world as Joe Bloggs you want to leave it as Nelson Mandela.

You may say then, it is all well and good having complete belief in yourself and your capabilities but what about everyone else around you? Part of what provoked me to write this entry was to highlight the damage outsider influence can do. These outsiders will often be the closest people in your life that discourage you from achieving greatness and excelling in your chosen field. 'You can't do that.' Understand that the mass doubt you will recieve is a part of the process, the growing pains if you like, of becoming great. People will always doubt you simply because they are content to settle for their habitual existences of little significance and deeply afraid that you could achieve something that the limits of their own minds could not even began to comprehend. For this reason willingly or otherwise they project their own insecurities onto you.

'My uncle said I'd never sell a million records,
I sold a million records like a million times' 
Jay Z- Crown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zcvjxng6C4

 To these people, only a simple response is appropriate and you can be back on your way to greatness:

'No, you can't do that.'

BE