Some even take it a step further; if your name is not yet popular, then your life isn't really worth much. You aren't touching a lot of lives. I hear this more in church and I'll like to, with your permission, address a few things about such teachings.
Now then, if greatness depends on how famous your name is, how many parts of the world you have toured, the audiences you have spoken to, how influential you are, how wealthy you are: how about the man in the village teaching teenage girls and mothers about maternal health, canvassing for pads, birth control, etc., ones whose work is saving lives; is he a failure?
How about doctors and health workers who are risking their lives in battle lines treating war victims: are they failures? How about a young girl who educates other youths on the importance of youth participation and awareness in politics and rallying young people together to change their societies: is she a failure?
How about the lady who nurses old people in homes with a smile on her face every other day: she too is a failure? How about a mother who's been left with five children and makes sacrifices everyday to see them eat and through school, who probably doesn't even have a name or an online presence: is she also a failure? Or the young graduate who had to improvise on Keke transportation to earn an income because he couldn't land job: on whom a family of 10 depends on; is he a failure?
We need to redefine greatness. We need to get back to basics. If greatness were about fame, how about actors, singers, celebrities whose names resound in all parts of the earth, who have large followerships but whose lives exude such negativity. Many of them strung up on drugs, court cases and riotous life styles. They are great?
If greatness were about money and influence, how about our politicians who are senselessly rich but whose wicked policies have cost millions of lives across the world. Are they great?
What then is greatness? I will simply define it from my heart, and not from any dictionary or source. Greatness is doing something that makes you happy and that makes another person smile. It could be a one off thing or something you commit your life to. It could be doing small things in a great way or doing great things in great ways. Bottom line is that you are happy doing them and you are adding value right where you are.
When greatness is defined this way we see that everyone is great. We also see that greatness is not a herculean task; it is an everyday thing. A smile can be great when given to a broken heart. Food can be great when offered to a hungry person. Medication can be great when administered to an old woman who is almost losing her sight. You see, greatness is just around you.
We now see that we don't have to travel around the world or answer big names to be great. We just do great and that everyday. It also removes the pressure of doing extraordinary things to become popular or influential or any other parameter used to measure greatness. I too have been told I'll be great and popular and all that. You know what it does to you? It puts you under pressure to perform or become what people expect or what the society recognizes as greatness. At times you crush people who care, lose important life's moment, do unbelievable things to become "great." You get there and it becomes empty because you lost sight of the real essence of living. Happiness and value.
So, I'm canvassing for a shift in paradigm. Let's quit putting ourselves under pressure to fit into a picture of greatness. Greatness is a daily thing and should be done naturally. I'm not asking us to be lazy, not study, enhance on our skills and talents. Those are what makes life worth living, enhancing yourself and getting better at what you do and at living. (Wouldn't it be a shame for someone to still be bathing you, putting food into your mouth, wiping your back after shiting while you are reading this and you aren't sick? My six year old niece would rather die than allow me feed her. The young lady is growing and that's what life should be.) While you do all of that, enjoy life's beautiful moments, and make someone else smile. That's greatness enough. When you eventually become the president of the world, for the few of us who will attain those lofty positions, you will still have people to enjoy your fame/wealth with.
And if you fail to make that list, what the heck! You are great right where you are as long as you are really living from your Heart and making one more person's life better.
To the great us, you and I.
Igbokwe Vivian Ijeoma
Nigeria
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