Greatness
is one of man’s topmost aspirations. This may mean different words to different
people. Some call it success, prosperity, influence, fame etc. All of mankind
wants to be free and independent, doing what he wants, how he wants it, and
whenever he wants it. But entering into this sphere of experience doesn’t just
happen like that. It takes an unbreakable and unbendable universal process,
which guarantees that one will become a high flyer whether he lives in the
desert or in the city.
This
process is outlined below:
1.
Investigate
This is one very vital thing that all successful men do. They
investigate the natural laws that guide and sustain whatever it is they are
about to do. Whatever it is you want to do or become, someone somewhere has
done it before. It therefore makes so much sense to find out how he did. This
will save you so much time and other resources.
Great men have always discovered great principles in one or a
combination of three ways:
a.
Experimentation
This is a trial-and-error, or better put, trial-and-success
system. They keep trying and recording their findings till they arrive at their
desired result. Building on their findings will save you much time, energy, and
even money and other resources. The Wright Brothers didn’t start building the
airplane from the scratch. They simply leveraged on the findings of those
before them.
b.
Speculation
This involves a careful observation and juxtaposition of facts and
realities; studying trends, and noting what works and what doesn’t. Using
findings of speculation will save you so much mental exertion and physical
energy.
c.
Intuition
Some of these laws were also ‘caught’
in the moments of reflection and meditation. Thomas Edison once said, “I
thought of the problem long enough and the solution jumped at me”. That’s the
outcome of an intuitive process. You can leverage on your intuition too. The
Bible says, “There is a spirit in man; the inspiration of the Almighty that
gives him understanding.”
NOTE: If you are not
satisfied, you may want to follow through these processes yourself, starting
from the scratch. However, this will only be your undoing. You can tap into the
wealth of resources such as books, articles, tapes etc. that these great minds
have given to the benefit of humanity. Isaac Newton understood this when he
said: “If I have been able to see farther than others, it must be because I’ve
been standing on the shoulders of giants.” On whose shoulders are you standing?
Who is or would be standing on your shoulders tomorrow?
2.
Imbibe
This is a deliberate effort at internalizing and personalizing
those laws and principles that you’ve found out. Don’t only allow them to
remain in your head, let them also infiltrate your heart. For example, don’t
say ‘They are Mandela’s Philosophy of Life.’ Rather, extract the principles
from the life of Mandela and conduct yourself accordingly. Let the principles
sink deep into your subconscious. That’s the only way they can work for you.
3.
Implement
When information enters
your heart, let them also find expression through your actions. Action is the
key. (Refer
to my article on The 10 Benefits of Action). No one is ever celebrated for
the information he knows, or how good his intentions are. Rather, people are celebrated
for what they have done – Action!
Dr Myles Munroe once said
that the wealthiest place is the graveyard. This is because it has buried in it
books that were never written; songs that were never composed nor sung; plays
that were never acted; places that were never visited; potentials that were
never discovered; purposes that were never realized.
What brings about
greatness is neither the accumulation nor documentation of information, but the
right application of information. We must apply ourselves to the truths
contained in the information that we know or have to become successful in your
chosen field of endeavor.
Don’t just imbibe,
implement!
4.
Impart
Truly successful people don’t allow what they know, and have
applied, and have worked for them to remain and die with them. They always find
a way of replicating them in others. They are always keen in passing them on.
They find a group of people to mentor. They document the laws that have worked
for them; they ensure that future generations are not denied of these truths.
Many of them have become our celebrated heroes today: Wesley Duewel, Martin
Luther, John Wesley, Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, Nelson Mandela,
Mohandas K. Gandhi… Oh! An endless list! They all lived successful lives in the
face of stiff oppositions, fighting and some, dying for the cause in which they
believed.
True greatness lies in living each day in the consciousness of
making life better for others. Life is
measured not in the duration, but in the donation. According to Thomas A.
Pine: “What we do for ourselves alone
dies with us. What we do for others lives and is eternal.”
What would you be remembered for?
You
can be that purposeful, powerful and productive person God made you to be.
Yes,
you can!
I
believe in you.
