Greatness
What I am about to tell you is a free, simple and easy to apply secret. One that could change the way you look at things. One that could improve your relationships; relationships with your loved ones but also the relationships on your teams, the relationships with your co-workers, your manager, your clients. What if I told you this secret could lead to change in your organisation in the most profound way? This secret will lead to the collective expansion at your workplace.
Have you ever stood before a tree and been utterly moved? Would you say that this tree is greatness? I would argue that this tree, and every tree is greatness. Maybe you look at the tree and you are reminded of God, and you are soothed and touched by your creator. Or maybe you aren’t a person of faith, and you believe in science. So the tree touches you, as you become aware of the beauty of our perfect symbiotic relationship with the tree; as it exhales you inhale; nature put us together in this most perfect way.
This tree is selfish. This tree never tried to impress you. This tree never compared itself to other trees. This tree doesn’t care what you think. This tree is pure strength and love and you feel that connection. This tree is greatness.
You know what’s even more moving than a tree? A forest. Your team is a forest. You are a collection of utter greatness.
Now, just pause for a moment, and ponder the weakest link on your team, or someone you struggle with in your organisation, someone that perhaps “doesn’t get it”, or they don’t seem to be doing a good job. Maybe they just rub you the wrong way. What kinds of words are going through your mind? Let me guess, it’s thoughts about how they aren’t good enough or their lack of greatness.
And now, take a deep breath, and turn your awareness onto that person’s Greatness. If you can’t….look harder! This person is as amazing as that tree that once moved you, you just have to turn your awareness onto it. Once you find it, hold on to it!
This is about acknowledging the Greatness that exists in your organisation. There is such a profound level of greatness there, imagine how wonderful it would be if we turned our attention onto it? By acknowledging Greatness, you cause it to grow.
We are all great, as great as that forest that gives us air and moves us all to be our best selves. I believe, that since the day of your birth, you have set forth to prove your greatness to the outside world. If every single person in your organisation simply wishes for their greatness to be noticed, then notice it! If every single person who reads this, commits only a minute of their time each meeting, each day, to notice another person’s Greatness, then you increase your collective power.
Moving forward in your life, and particularly at your workplace, consider contemplating the greatness of the people around you. If you can’t find it, keep looking. That’s the secret.
Implementation of this might be challenging at first, but here is a simple idea to help you put Greatness into practice.
- Look in the mirror and go through the motions of placing a pair of glasses over your face. These glasses will help you see things differently, they will help you see the world through the lens of Greatness. Now, get a small box, like a box that a pair of earrings would come in. On the outside of the box, label it with the words “Greatness Glasses”. Put this box on your desk at work, and as you glance at the box throughout the day, it will act as a gentle reminder to look at people through the (figurative) lens of these Greatness Glasses. Wear them cautiously at first as they can cause blurry vision as you are adjusting… just try them on for 5 minutes a day until you feel more comfortable, and eventually you should be able to wear them all day.
When you widen your lens, you can change your perspective, and you will find compassion for others, and before you know it, you will see that your problems are small compared to the greatness that surrounds you.
“Peace does not mean an absence of conflicts; differences will always be there. Peace means solving these differences through peaceful means; through dialogue, education, knowledge; and through human ways.” Dalai Lama XIV
