Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Greatness and Goodness

"Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them."
William Shakespeare - Twelfth Night

“Dobby has heard of your greatness, sir, but of your goodness, Dobby never knew.” J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

We often idolize people who do great works. Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, Helen Keller, Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King Jr., Neil Armstrong, etc. People who have overcome great odds and changed the world. Single individuals who pave the way for the rest of the human race to follow suit. And all of these individuals have one thing, one word in common: 

Drive.

"No" simply wasn't in their vocabulary. They had every reason to give up; especially when they faced odds that logically should have defeated them. Yet they took their failures and built successes out of them. They defied those who told them that the effort wasn't worth the heartache of failing and came out on top in the end. They, in short, showed us how to live. 

Yet, the ones who stand out even amonst those who do great are the ones who also do good. They give their all, even their own lives, in the selfless servitude of their fellow man. They sacrifice their own needs and desires daily to better the lives of others. These are the ones who truly show us that each life, each person, no matter how great or small the world thinks of them to be, they matter. No life is lived in vain in the eyes of those who are equally good and great. And it is through the selfless sacrifice of these few individuals that the world is changed into a better place. If even for a little while, their light is the rose that grows in concrete.

So, it is my challenge to you, as I place this challenge upon myself. Don't just be great. Be good, as well.

No comments:

Post a Comment