Becoming Great

I assume everyone desires (to some extent) to be great at something. Sometimes we want to be great at something but then don’t live up to our hopes.

Becoming great requires a conscious effort. How good we get will depend on how much time we spend actively trying. Reality reflects action, not intent. We can’t just be something and hope to be great.

We judge ourselves based on our intentions. When our intentions don’t match our actions, we might look for excuses. Sometimes our excuses are in the form of blame. When we place the blame elsewhere, we fail to see the opportunities to improve ourselves. These are the opportunities that are within our control.

I find it helps to make action statements. “To be a better husband, I can do X, Y, and Z. To be a better father, I can do X, Y, and Z.”

Doing X, Y, and Z always make us better. We don’t have to be bad at something to become better. There is always opportunity to grow. How much we grow determines how great we become.