Imperatives for Greatness

P.O Box 1540, Albany Western Australia 6331
Phone/Fax: (08) 98 418 418
E-mail: abl-alb@omninet.net.au

Imperatives for Greatness
Friend, it was Abraham Heschel who said, "The greatest sin of man is to forget that he is a prince." As I reflect on that statement, I don't believe anyone ever sets out to live a small life, do you? And yet, we've all seen some people who increase their service and achievements as the years go by, while others start out with such promise, and seem to decline for no apparent reason. Well, what makes a human being great? Greatness has imperatives that must be followed. One imperative of greatness is: We must learn to look at our talents with respect, never take them for granted, never minimize or belittle them. They frame our destiny. Walt Disney understood this. In the early days of Disneyland, the Disney executives discovered a way to remind themselves of the value of their jobs. They would take turns going out and wearing the Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck costumes to greet the thousands of visitors. Hour after hour, children and adults a-like showered smiles and hugs and cries of excitement on these costumed executives. Naturally, the executives would return to their offices unforgettably impressed. They carried a deeper respect for their own talents. Another imperative for greatness is: We must surround ourselves with a dream. Do you have a dream? People who are great surround themselves with a dream. They believe in their dream; they nurture it, enrich it and even use their failures to help make it come true. Friend, all around you there are voices that shout "No!" to your dreams. "It can't be done," they warn. "It's not worth the effort." "It won't make any difference, anyway." But you cannot listen to these voices! A third imperative of greatness is: We must have respect for our human adventure. The world is not a place where life can be put on automatic pilot; the world is a place of great adventure. The more we love and respect the adventure, the more we can enjoy life. My friend, do you so love the world that you are willing to give people your very best? I hope your answer to that question is "Yes!" You see, without knowing it, most people have a plan - not to succeed - but to fail. This happens because most people think of their lives only in terms of career or money or status or power. Hence, they make no plans for joy and laughter, love and family, ageing and retirement. And they certainly have no plans for failure and death - two of the absolutes in human life. Therefore, the plans they do have are doomed to result in failure - even if the plans themselves succeed. People can accomplish their career objectives and still fail in their life objectives. In contrast, a real success plan begins with life's realities - its limitations and changes, its surprises and unexpected turns, its timed nature and death. And the formulation of this kind of plan begins with important imperatives such as I have listed above. However, if you would like to have eight more important decisions to help you achieve real greatness, I'd be happy to send them to you. Just write and request "THE SUCCESS PLAN". My address is: P.O. Box 1540, Albany, WA 6331. Phone/Fax: (08) 98 418418 or Email: abl-alb@omninet.net.au Have a great day!

Friend, it was Abraham Heschel who said, "The greatest sin of man is to forget that he is a prince."

As I reflect on that statement, I don't believe anyone ever sets out to live a small life, do you?

And yet, we've all seen some people who increase their service and achievements as the years go by, while others start out with such promise, and seem to decline for no apparent reason.

Well, what makes a human being great? Greatness has imperatives that must be followed. One imperative of greatness is: We must learn to look at our talents with respect, never take them for granted, never minimize or belittle them. They frame our destiny.

Walt Disney understood this. In the early days of Disneyland, the Disney executives discovered a way to remind themselves of the value of their jobs. They would take turns going out and wearing the Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck costumes to greet the thousands of visitors. Hour after hour, children and adults a-like showered smiles and hugs and cries of excitement on these costumed executives. Naturally, the executives would return to their offices unforgettably impressed. They carried a deeper respect for their own talents.

Another imperative for greatness is: We must surround ourselves with a dream. Do you have a dream? People who are great surround themselves with a dream. They believe in their dream; they nurture it, enrich it and even use their failures to help make it come true.

Friend, all around you there are voices that shout "No!" to your dreams. "It can't be done," they warn. "It's not worth the effort." "It won't make any difference, anyway." But you cannot listen to these voices!

A third imperative of greatness is: We must have respect for our human adventure. The world is not a place where life can be put on automatic pilot; the world is a place of great adventure. The more we love and respect the adventure, the more we can enjoy life.

My friend, do you so love the world that you are willing to give people your very best? I hope your answer to that question is "Yes!" You see, without knowing it, most people have a plan - not to succeed - but to fail. This happens because most people think of their lives only in terms of career or money or status or power. Hence, they make no plans for joy and laughter, love and family, ageing and retirement. And they certainly have no plans for failure and death - two of the absolutes in human life.

Therefore, the plans they do have are doomed to result in failure - even if the plans themselves succeed. People can accomplish their career objectives and still fail in their life objectives. In contrast, a real success plan begins with life's realities - its limitations and changes, its surprises and unexpected turns, its timed nature and death. And the formulation of this kind of plan begins with important imperatives such as I have listed above. However, if you would like to have eight more important decisions to help you achieve real greatness, I'd be happy to send them to you. Just write and request "THE SUCCESS PLAN". My address is: P.O. Box 1540, Albany, WA 6331. Phone/Fax: (08) 98 418418 or
Email: abl-alb@omninet.net.au

Have a great day!