Greatness is inside but we need help

I have to admit it, I have been struggling this week. What I recognized today in my long walk is that this is not “my struggle” statement,, it’s a “we are all in the same boat” statement. Whatever the fears, worries and concerns in my case, we all have our own. Sometimes I don’t know where to go. So many options, so many ideas.

Today I needed to walk outside no matter what. I put on so much weight in the past months that I had to take my chance to include a long walk today. I knew it would do me well. I visualized getting some inspiration from some Tai Chi music on my earbuds, while I still hear the sounds of nature. When I was ready to do it, at a beautiful time in the sunny morning, everything changed. Of course, days never go as planned so I had to postpone it a couple of times until I was alone and had the time to do it. It was a bit darker and cold, but it was then or never. I took amazing pictures and it felt really great. Several things happened that inspired me, and I wanted to share them with you:

• We feel great sometimes. Some other times, we don’t. I’m totally convinced that greatness is inside but inspiration isn’t. If we can feel great sometimes, that means greatness is inside, we just have to find ways to wake it up. Those people you admire that “succeed” in life have learned how to maximize the “uptime” of their greatness but feeling it as long as they can during the day. We just need effective ways to inspire us. Today, I needed the walk. And I needed to share these reflections with you.
• During that walk alone, I took an incredible amount of beautiful pictures. I felt part of something greater than me.

We are great because we are part of something greater. Call it God, call it universe, call it energy. We are a small part of a much larger whole, and your greatness emerges when you connect with it.

• I have reflected many times about “my calling”, “my purpose”. It’s not clear to me, and to many of us. My research on wisdom showed me that human flourishing for self and others is our shared higher purpose. So I don’t need to know “my calling”, because I know that “flourishing for self and others” is my higher calling. I will continue to pursue that.
• However, to be honest with myself, I learned over the years that my purpose is to “learn and teach”, share my lessons and inspire others. I have always wondered why. The reason is clear now: I never felt I was great myself. I have always felt that I’m an average person with an average life. That’s precisely what’s needed out there. Inspiration for greatness. We are great, but we don’t know it. My calling is to inspire others to find their greatness, and feel it. That will make my greatness rise. That’s why I write. That’s why I open myself. That’s why I share too much and make myself vulnerable. I love inspiring you.

Your greatness is our gain.

• I have never been a fan of organized religion, political parties or “forced fun” at work. I enjoy being a “reflective practitioner”, and that’s why I did my PhD. However, as life goes on, I learned that “community helps getting our greatness out”. It’s another form of inspiration. We become addicts to technology, drugs, or food because we need comfort and we can’t find it outside. It is difficult to get out of those crutches unless you are part of a community that cares about you. Guess what a community is: simply put, a group of people that share something with each other. That’s why the most successful programs are built around “community”. We are gregarious species, and although we love time alone, we defeat ourselves being along more than we need. Religions, political parties or corporate fun are just ways to build a community that we crave. Without them, our own beliefs crumble, and our ability to get our greatness out diminishes. Community is part of your inspiration, as aloof as you like to be.

Community helps our greatness out

In conclusion, we need four things to “get our greatness out” or “feel great”: 1) a sense of purpose or cause (accomplishment of goals that fulfill our soul and connects with our higher purpose: flourish self and others); 2) a sense of human connection and community beyond tech (real people around you); 3) a sense of being part of something greater than us (nature, universe, God, energy, planet, environment); and last but not least 4) inspiration to feel our own greatness and let it out (we all need it, and the more we get, the more our greatness comes out)

#bewise and learn how to feel great because you already are. It’s just tricky sometimes, so go out and get those 4 ingredients. The rest, true greatness, is inside you and we need it.

Learn how to feel great because you already are