The Different Faces of Greatness

Greatness can be many different things; in fact, it doesn't even take the same form from one person to the next. It can be defined as a goal reached, a dream achieved, or a life fulfilled. Greatness is the driving force that everyone strives for. Generally, we all want to be known for the great things that we've done. This is how we make ourselves known in the world. It's what guides our everyday actions.

The definition for greatness varies with age. For example, greatness for me is getting high grades and doing my best in school, whereas my little eight year old sister may define greatness as making a goal in her soccer game and leading the team to a win. My eighty-eight year-old grandmother, however, may define greatness as finishing a book that she's always wanted to read or remembering each of her one-hundred plus grandchildren's birthdays.

Greatness can also be swayed by where a person lives, how a person was raised, or what a person values in their life. Another example: a pig farmer defines greatness as entering the biggest, fattest porker into a fair and winning the grand prize! This scenario, however, would not apply to the CEO of a high-class fashion company in New York City who defines greatness as having the most money, the classiest friends or acquaintances, the biggest penthouse apartment, and the best fashions. Both people would probably despise the other's version of greatness and achievement, yet it's their own personal driving force. This is all a matter of perspective, and that perspective changes with every single person.

No matter who a person is or what their circumstances might bring them in life, they should all strive for some form of greatness, whether it be winning a million dollars or passing a college final. This will inspire great works which tend to make the world a better place to live in.