Your life has been going along and you've made it as GOOD as you've been able to, up to this point. Though if you were satisfied to just maintain status quo and coast till you die, you wouldn't be here.
You're reading this, because you desire better than just GOOD:
- If given the choice, do you want to see a GOOD movie, or a GREAT! movie?
- At Thanksgiving, was your goal to simply have a GOOD meal and a GOOD time, or did you cook and prepare (drive a long way) with the intent to have a GREAT! meal and a GREAT! visit with loved ones?
- When you hire someone to work on your house or car or teeth, are you hoping they do a GOOD job, or a GREAT! job?
- When you die are you hoping a few people will be at the funeral because you were a pretty GOOD person, or do you want the place full of people there who will sorely miss you because you were a GREAT! impact on their lives?
I have 7 children that will all grow up and probably become parents themselves, and when they realize the immense role that being a parent is, they'll fully be hit with who and what I was as a parent. If they deem I was just "pretty GOOD," I'll be devastated. I want to be GREAT! Not for me, it's what I owe them!
Thus I'm assuming you desire to do truly GREAT! things. To have work and a lifestyle and an impact on your friends, family and world that would be deemed in as GREAT! on many levels.
So your life. If you have a fairly GOOD pattern now, the only way to get to GREAT! is to give up some of the GOOD. Examples:
- Taking my kids to soccer and baseball and dance and every extracurricular activity thrust at them or that they are interested would entail some GOOD things for them. But giving up those GOOD things gives time for us to be together and build relationship and have experiences, teaching and training and loving that are GREAT!
- Same for me; volunteering with the church to feed the homeless, going to the couples dinner gathering, serving on the board of a non-profit…would all be GOOD things. But giving those up to create something from my heart that will inspire me, inspire others and serve humanity, is GREAT!
- Doing house maintenance, catching up on emails, de stressing with a movie, partaking in a hobby are all GOOD. Giving them up to consistently exercise and increase my vitality, energy and good health that will add on years to my life and increase my overall quality of life is GREAT!
Those are just a small sampling of my examples. For you, list out the many, many things that you see as GOOD in your life. Really, good things. Nice things. Fairly worthy things. You will have to let some of them go for the sake of creating and building something truly…GREAT!
I see folks everyday who continually put off the GREAT! things they feel in their heart, as they can't find time amongst all the GOOD. I naturally do it too. Even the GREAT! things I want to do, are hard. And my flesh will look everywhere for distractions and time goes by and…nothing. When I hunker down and discipline myself and shut out all the GOOD things, I create GREAT! things.
If I had to list out the GOOD things I gave up in order to build our dream house before we could afford it in any way, it would be a long list. If I had to list out all the GOOD things that I would have had if I'd taken a healthy 6-figure position with a marketing firm, instead of pursuing my heart into creating a business that is GREAT! in my life, my family's and according to my members and audience…to them, I'd be writing a long time.
It's hard, I understand. It was, and continues to be for me. As a husband, parent, business owner, speaker, leader, servant…
The GOOD things are easier. The GOOD view from my house takes me 2.5 minutes to walk to. The GREAT! view is a 20 minute, arduous run. A GOOD marriage in all honesty, would be so much easier. Striving for a great marriage with my Teri is dadgum hard. Risky, scary, painful. But what's the alternative? To give in to the resistance? Just settle for GOOD? That's not acceptable, even though this world is hell bent on enabling us and convincing us that GOOD…is GOOD enough. Being GREAT! is foolish. "Just stay on your couch and numb and medicate yourself by watching mere stories of greatness, as your soul yearns for GREAT!ness so badly you can't fully deny yourself of tasting it, even as a spectator.
Now the Lord said to Abram:
"I will make you a GREAT! nation; I will bless you and make your name GREAT!; And you shall be a blessing."
Genisis 12:2
Traditional employment will be easier. Paying your bills, building up some savings, buying a house…is GOOD. Discovering your heart, pouring yourself into what inspires you, creating wealth that you can give away and owning your work so you can direct your life will pay off in GREAT!, GREAT! things.
What GOOD things are keeping you from the GREAT! things gnawing at your soul? There will always be a reason to put if off. Are you putting off GREAT! things so you can have a GOOD Christmas? You'll have to start now if you're going to make it in time for Christmas 2011 to be…GREAT!
Don't wait. Let's go.
*I've lined up students for Jan/Feb/Mar in my '90-Day MFA' (Master of Free Agency) program, but still have openings for December. If not even Christmas shopping and stress and expenditures can come between you and starting your quest for GREAT!, you can apply here: 90-Day MFA info page
Pictured above: The GREAT! Pike's Peak view from Manitou Lake during our morning walk at the Oct. 2010 Free Agent Academy Intensive event, taken by FAA Host, Alan Jackson.
