The mindset of greatness (4), By Sunday Adelaja

The next factor of greatness is that great men and women always go the extra mile to make sacrifices to attain their goals. Most men would normally give up when they encounter one challenge or the other, but great men become tougher as the going gets tougher. They don’t quit easily. They have learnt the lesson of endurance and perseverance. They persevere.  They go the extra mile. They keep on striving and pushing, even when no one believes in them.

The next factor of greatness that we are going to examine today is labour. Great men and women don’t see work as a curse. They, in fact, know that work is a blessing. They regard work as one of the greatest blessings God has given to humanity. Hence, they take good advantage of it. They work hard. I have never seen a great man who works only eight hours a day. All great people I know don’t have limits to their working day. They work for as long as necessary. If they need to work for 20 hours, they do it. If they need to work for 14, 18 or 25 hours, they do it. They do what they need to do to get the result they need.

Ordinary men, however, tend to regard work as a form of punishment. They, at times, even run away from work. Some others try all possible ways and means to work shorter hours a day. By so doing, they don’t realise that they are limiting their own possibilities and short-circuiting their own destinies.

It is great wisdom to realise that it is only through work that we can discover ourselves. It is God’s tool for us to unveil the hidden wealth and riches in our beings. Work is also the only tool by which we can discover the wealth hidden in nature itself. It is only through work that we discover the hidden gold in the soil. It is only work that  turns a coal into a diamond. It is only work that unearths oil from the soil. It is only work that converts limestone into cement, etc. Work is one of the greatest gifts of nature that we have been endowed with by the almighty God.

The next factor of greatness that we are going to examine is excellence. Great men and women are men of excellence. They don’t like to be the second best. They don’t settle for less than the very best. They work in a way to give their best. Their products have to be implemented in the very best possible quality. Great men are their best critics. They criticise their work in order to improve on it. Until you become the best in what you do, you will never be regarded as great. Great men know this truth.

One other factor that I will like to mention that helps great men to become who they are is the fact that they are always bold, and confident about their abilities. They don’t suffer indecisions. They don’t lock themselves up in doubt and deliberation whether they can do something or not. They believe in themselves and hence launch out to attain the best in their chosen fields. If you and I are going to achieve greatness, we just don’t have to believe in God, we also have to believe in ourselves. You must believe in your abilities. You must have faith in yourself. You must be certain that failure is not an option. You must be confident of your eventual success. It is that faith that keeps propelling you forward when circumstances and difficulties come to stop you.

If you only believe in God however, you will definitely suffer setback because you will be waiting on God to come and do for you what only you can do for yourself. But if you believe in God and at the same time work as if everything depends on your ability, then you stand a great chance of making a difference in your generation. As you believe in yourself though, you must also believe in God so much that you will believe as if only faith in him matters.

“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” ― Albert Einstein

The next factor of greatness is that great men and women always go the extra mile to make sacrifices to attain their goals. Most men would normally give up when they encounter one challenge or the other, but great men become tougher as the going gets tougher. They don’t quit easily. They have learnt the lesson of endurance and perseverance. They persevere.  They go the extra mile. They keep on striving and pushing, even when no one believes in them. Sacrifice is their lifestyle. They sacrifice their comfort, they sacrifice their time, they sacrifice their pleasure, and sometimes they sacrifice their social life, just to attain the goal they have set before themselves.

Nobody becomes great without these qualities. If you and I had to leave our mark on our generation, we must make these qualities our own.

“I was never afraid of failure; for I would sooner fail than not be among the greatest.” ― John Keats

Great men and women are level-headed people. They are realistic. They don’t fly in the air. Though they may be believers, yet they are not overly spiritual or superstitious. They have their feet on the ground most of the time. Even though they are men and women of vision, yet they are not carried away by illusions. They are not empty dreamers. They don’t like to be superficial. Even though they are mainly men of faith, yet they work with facts. They are particular about details.

They are realistic. They are true realists in their lifestyles. It is this factor that enables them to safeguard their legacies. They secure their works by their meticulousness. This is a factor that aspiring young men and women have to bear in mind if they are to become all they dream of becoming in life.

It is my hope that this article has opened your eyes to greater things about life and the subject of greatness than you had known before now. I pray you will also have the zeal and passion to actually implement all the truths enumerated in this article.

“To seek greatness is the only righteous vengeance.” ― Criss Jami

Sunday Adelaja is a Nigerian born leader, transformation strategist, pastor and innovator. He was based in Ukraine.