Preparing for Greatness
Have you ever looked at someone who was a true master in their art and wondered how they got to be so good? Been amazed at how easily a professional can make a complicated exercise look? Or where their stamina and drive come from? Daily practice. They prepare daily for what they may face. Their daily training is designed to prepare them for all possible opportunities.
Step One
Not all of us will be great, yet each of us has the potential to be great. Within each of us lies the drive, determination, and dedication to be great at our gift. Whether we choose to pursue greatness is up to us. Yet before we can choose to be great, we must recognize what our gift is. For some, being a star athlete, for others an award-winning author, and for others parenthood, caregiver, or cheerleader. We each have a special gift, something only we can give the world, and when we embrace that gift, when we choose to be great, the world is better for it.
Step Two
Once we know what our gift is, we embrace it, and we choose to be the very best we can be, we are on our way. On our journey, we will face challenges, moments of self-doubt, periods of what feels like a complete failure, and roadblocks so massive we cannot see around them. Our training, what we do every single day is the secret driving force to overcome these moments.
You may be asking what does daily training look like? No matter what your gift is, your daily training is religious, dedicated practice of the very basics which comprise your gift. No matter what happened yesterday, 5-minutes ago, or in our last breath, when we choose to practice the basics, to give our all to the moment, we are embracing our gift, and on our way to greatness.
Step Three
Never underestimate your gift. Not everyone can be a rockstar, I mean how boring would the world be then? Our uniqueness, our differences are what make the world a better place, create amazing solutions, and invent new solutions. Each gift is equally important and blessed. The gift we were given is the perfect gift for each of us. I used to tell people, “all I know how to do is love people and take care of them.” I was ashamed because I had no superpower. When I realized the greatest gift you can give a person is to love them where they are, show them what you see, and care for them in that moment, I embraced my gift.
No matter where you find yourself or what your gift is, know it is a role that no other person alive, who has been alive, or who will be alive can fill. The gift is uniquely made for you and once you embrace it, the impact you make will be larger than you could ever dream of.
Step Four
No matter what your day holds, no matter how you feel that day, practice. Believe you are right where you should be, know you have the skills needed, and practice religiously. Push yourself in the basics, stretch yourself, prepare for what could come, not what you think will come. In other words, your practice must be in preparation for more than the greatest challenge you can imagine. The only way to rise to the occasion, to be great, is to practice daily, give your all, and always be ready for more than you can see.
For just one minute, imagine what the world could be, what would change, if we all embraced our gifts and prepared for what could be. What if we all embraced the power of just one more minute of practice, one more new skill, one more kind word to share? The next time you feel unprepared for a challenge, ask yourself how you are going to prepare for your next challenge. What basic things can you practice daily, how can you give just a little bit more, be a little more authentic? And be confident in the knowledge you have just made the decision to train for what is coming.
Sincerely,
Sara O
