Great

This is perhaps the greatest word of all times.

The word itself describes power and wisdom all in one. Many of the past leaders are labelled as great directly or indirectly in their names and titles. The most famous is probably Alexander the Great, king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. His name is widespread throughout history.

What does great mean to you?

A sense of greatness comes from within. There are millions of people who look down on themselves most of the time. This, we can blame the education system that we have been put through.

Education systems have been created by the knowledgeable to supposedly teach the mediocre about wisdom. However, the syllabus often only cover what they want us to know. After all the years of education in a typical school, all we learn is to be disciplined and obey all the rules set forth upon us. How many great leaders we know of actually follow the rules?

Great people have their own rules.

The divine live their whole life serving others without expecting anything in return. This is what I call noble. There are some who label themselves as that but acts differently, making all followers volunteer their time and money to rebuild the empire that they seek to be perfect. Some people may understand what I mean while others may be just too deep into their beliefs that they lack the efforts to questions the doings of others.

People like Mahatma Gandhi is my all-time idol. The image of him always come to me because of the sacrifice he makes for change to happen. Which other great person you know have made such efforts in their lifetime for nothing in return? His endurance, his courage, he sets a great example for others to follow. He really walk the talk. We are at great loss the moment he was assassinated. He must have been the chosen one to live in the heavens with the Gods of peace. His name live till this date. He will be remembered to eternity.

Great leaders craft their own rules.

Some leaders we know made history with the blood of others. Take Adolf Hitler for example, the German leader of the Nazi party. He has a thing against the Jews somehow, most probably due to their intelligence. Yes, some great leaders make everyone else inferior to them. He is known for initiating World War II in Europe, mass killings to make people bow to him. We either adore him or hate him. Whatever he had done was history. Without him, the world would not be the same as the world we know today. He is an important figure in history.

There are leaders that make rules to help everyone else live harmoniously. These are peace keepers of the world. We always refer to them as religious teachers. There are some who are not religious at all. They teach without payment in return. They are willing to sacrifice their time and effort to educate us. All they want is for humans to be at peace with nature and all beings.

We live in a world full of joy and entertainment. We get involved in activities most often with groups of humans. How often do we connect with nature?

We ought to remember that we are not the only beings walking the earth. Every animal and plant has a life too. They deserve to be treated equally with kindness and thought. We are so busy with the hustle and bustle of our working and mingling lives we often forget our roots. To us, money is king. While this is true, let us also remember that being king means we have to give back to society.

When was the last time you donated to a charity? When was the last time you spent time with your child at the playground? When was the last time you walked barefooted in the forest? When was the last time you fed a stray? When was the last time you did something kind to another individual without telling your name? When was the last time? Do you still remember? Can you recall? How do you feel?

Our life is what we make it to be. Help others without expecting anything in return. The sense of greatness will come from within.

 

Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice, and is never the result of selfishness.

Oliver Napoleon Hill (Napoleon Hill), American self-help author (Think and Grow Rich), 1883-1970