3 Principles of Personal Greatness

How far are you willing to go? How much are you able to withstand? What, exactly is the limit of your commitment? Naturally, it depends, right? I mean, you're not going to risk life and limb for a bag of flour or a couple of raisins. But for your parents or your children, you wouldn't think twice.

The question is, if you know what is really important to you, why do you even entertain anything else? Immediately, some people respond with something like, "But I have to go to work to pay bills." And while that may be very true, it doesn't mean that your work has to detract from your passions. Can you imagine what life would be like if you were passionate about everything you do? Can you envision a life wherein you are intensely focused and relentlessly committed to everything you do? Can you imagine wasting absolutely no time on thongs that just don't matter?

The very idea scares most people so much that they immediately dismiss the possibility as if it were as outlandish as living on the moon. But the truth is, you were not born to be mediocre and just fit into somebody else's plan. You are uniquely qualified to make a contribution to your own life and the lives of the people you serve. It does not depend on how much money you have, how many initiations you perform or any other external element.

Your ability to surround yourself with meaningful activities that produce greatness starts with three things:

1. A definition of personal greatness. Most people just dont know what they're aiming for. Sure, you have a laundry list of things, like a good job, a good spouse, a nice home and so on. But look around you at all the tens of thousands of people who have achieved those things but are not even close to being great. Why? Because greatness is not a the result of accumulating things. Greatness is the result of living according to your own principles. It's a question of real integrity.
2. Service to something greater than yourself. It might be your Ancestral Promise or creating a legacy for your family. Whatever it is, greatness - true and undeniable greatness - is inseparable from a higher calling. This is something that will inspire you to get up early and stay late, no matter how much or how little material compensation is involved. You might recall the story of yhe man who was walking down the beach, throwing starfish back into the sea after they had been washed ashore. Another person saw him and remarked, "You're wasting your time. There are thousands of them. You won't make any difference." The man simply bent over, picked up a starfish and tossed it back into the sea and replied, "It made a difference to that one." Service to something greater than yourself enables you to see beyond immediate circumstances and act accordingly. This is key to greatness.
3. Agreements, agreements, agreements. You have probably heard of the saying "Give him offer he can't refuse." Well, as menacing as that sounds, it is very important to the equation, not because of the fear factor, but because of the accountability factor. What gets measured gets done. And when you know you've made a promise, you have entered into an agreement with somebody, and others are depending on you for something, you're more inclined to complete that mission. The key is to make the right agreements with the right entities. There are certaon agreements you should enter into with Olodumare, the father and creator of all existence. There are agreements you should make woth your internal spirit. There are agreements you should make with your ancestors, too. They sacrificed for you and you will benefit from acknowledging that sacrifice by agreeing to sacrifice for future generations as well.

Together, these three elements compel you to greatness. Direction, service and accountability, when adhered to with true devotion, will produce personal greatness. This is what it means to live the medicine. Learn more at www.ObafemiO.com