“Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.”  William Shakespeare

 


When I was 38, I had reached what felt was a pinnacle point of personal achievement. It was as if all that I had worked for in my life in terms of personal growth, knowledge and spiritual insight had come together, and I become a teacher of sorts.

I worked one-on-one with people and began to also lead workshops and gatherings. People came to me for guidance on their lives, and to help them heal their hearts. They trusted me, and I watched them open and grow and heal. It was absolutely incredible and beautiful being a part of it all, and for a short time, I felt complete.

Part of me thought the gatherings were the most natural thing in the world for me to do and that they were something I was always meant for…but…there was another part of me that wasn’t comfortable with having that much visibility, and power, and responsibility, and accountability.

I could see something big beginning for form, and I wasn’t comfortable with it. And so after about a year I stopped doing the gatherings. I figured I would go back to them eventually when it felt right again, but it didn’t. Life happened. My father got sick, and a few months after that, I became pregnant.

For years after, I wondered if my window of opportunity for personal greatness had closed. I asked myself many times if it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I took for granted, and if I ruined my one and only chance at fulfilling THE promise that I was born to do? I wondered if I was letting my higher self down…or worse, God.

Although all our stories are different, I imagine some of you have experienced something similar, where you passed something by that you wish you hadn’t, or missed a great opportunity because you weren’t sure of it, or had your moment of greatness, and then sabotaged it.

What I’ve come to realize is that the concept of “greatness” lives only in the minds and egos of people. God/Goddess/the Universe has no investment in whether or not I achieve greatness. Whatever I want to accomplish and how I go about it is up to me, it’s also measured by me. There’s a saying that goes something like this, “There are a multitude of light sockets available. It’s up to you do decide whether or not you plug yourself in.”

Today, 15 years after my experience, the way I define personal greatness is to continually open to, press into, and to grow to my full potential, and be accountable to this; to do my best in each moment to live from the ideals that I’ve cultivated through my relationship with Spirit; to think for myself always, and whenever possible, think outside the box and open my mind for original thought; and to offer myself authentically and deeply, with compassion.

Whether my work effects 1 person or 1 million, what matters to me is the quality of the experience that I give to the people on my path. I appreciate Wallace D. Wattles words from The Science of Being Great, “Do not go hunting for big things to do. Live a great life where you are, and in the daily work you have to do, and greater works will surely find you out…”

I’m going to leave you with this question, a version of which was once asked of me, “Do you know…in your heart, your gut, and in your mind…that you were created for and made for greatness?

Article author:  Donna M Thomas

Article source:  Aspiring to Personal Greatness

This blog, and all my writings, are explorations into the wondrous, deep, and ever-evolving process of living, loving and growing. My intention with Pebbles for Thought, is to empower and uplift, one post at a time.