Each of us has planted deep inside the seed of Greatness. Each of us are a divine living soul. Our soul is a combination of an eternal spirit and a mortal body. We each have a conscience ... which gives us an innate understanding of right and wrong. We are also endowed with the gift of agency, the ability to make personal choices as we live our lives. With agency comes personal responsibility and accountability. We can only be held accountable if we are free to exercise our agency.
As sons and daughters of our Creator, we each have the potential to become like Him as we emulate His character traits in our own lives by making good decisions each day.
Our natural desire to grow, achieve, and contribute was planted in our souls by our Creator. We are all architects and engineers as we design and create the world around us. Just consider the sense of satisfaction you feel after finishing a project and stepping back to admire your work.
Though we might sometimes be impressed by our own creations, we must stand in awe at God’s creations. God’s creations are amazing, the beauty of the mountains and the seas, the intensity of a thunder and lightning storm, the incredible colors of a sunset, the peace and beauty of a new fallen snow. We were given all these things to enjoy as we live our lives here on Earth. But we also have a responsibility to be good stewards over the Earth and to treat our brothers and sisters with love and respect.
How we choose to follow these principles is an important part of the test of this mortal life. Therefore, the right to choose, to make our own decisions, is at the center of our humanity. Anytime we experience social oppression, it infringes on our right to choose.
Attempting to control others at any level also goes against the personal freedom that God granted each of us. We value and guard our own freedom but often make demands on others that infringe on their freedom to choose.
When in a position of authority or leadership, we must be careful that we provide guidance and direction but that we do not force or coerce others into the behaviors that we want. To be a leader, you must have willing followers. Weak leaders use social oppression to get what they want.
We must never voluntarily give up our freedoms and liberties in exchange for safety and security or we will end up with neither. Our freedoms and liberties can be at risk because we either willingly give them up, are coerced to give them up, or we become so complacent that they are taken away and we fail to notice until it is too late. Once gone, future generations will not even be aware of what they have lost!
Most people willing accept the reality that they are presented with. We must always question why and push back against social oppression in all its forms if we are to maintain our freedoms that allow us to learn, grow, and achieve greatness in our lives.
The world teaches us that scarcity is the normal condition of humanity. If I achieve something, it must be at your expense. In sports, there is always a winner and a loser. The winners go home, elated; and the losers wallow in their loss or get more motivated to win next time. In business, we often bid for contracts or compete for market share. In war, the winner gets all the spoils, and the losers pay the price with their property, freedom, and often their lives.
We talk about the survival of the fittest and natural selection. These are all constructs of man. God teaches us that, in His Kingdom, there are many mansions and enough space there for all who are obedient and worthy to be in His presence. He teaches us that abundance will be the normal condition in eternity.
We see the principle of abundance everywhere in the world around us. For example, astronomists have determined that the universe is expanding in all directions at a rapid pace. The natural state of all creation is to grow and expand. All life in the biosphere, when provided with the basic ingredients for life, will grow and expand. Trade in free markets will expand, and all market participants will benefit from the variety of products and services, and increased trade. Growth is natural, growth is good, growth creates abundance for all.
Love is another example of the principle of abundance. When you first fall in love with your spouse or partner, you feel such a connection and love for them that it is hard to imagine loving anyone else that much. But then you have children, and when you see your child for the first time, you instantly have a love for them that is almost unexplainable. It doesn’t reduce or diminish your love for your spouse; your love just increases to include both. And then, when your second child is on the way, you think: how can I love another child as much as my first? Then they arrive, and your love for them is just as strong. It is not that they each get half of your love. No, your love grows to include both! Love grows to encompass all who live under its protection.
Once we embrace the idea of abundance, we will no longer feel that we are competing with others for limited resources, and we will unlock our ability to bless the lives of others.
Abundance is one of the key principles that will allow us to achieve Greatness in our lives. As Sons and Daughters of our Creator, we each have the potential to become like Him in character and deed. This is a realization that should strengthen our resolve to improve each day.
Greatness is not defined by the scope or impact of our contributions to the world. Greatness is measured in the character traits we develop as we work and serve others.
Are we kind and compassionate? Can we be depended on to keep our word? Do we carry our share of the workload and stay on a task until it is completed? Do we share our skills and talents with others? Do our words match our actions? Do we lead by example? It is all these small decisions that we make every day that become our habits that lead to our character traits that will determine our eternal destiny. Greatness is, therefore, the sum of all the good decisions and choices we make.
Both now and in the eternities to come, We are Destined For Greatness.
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Thanks for reading and for the really nice comment! I appreciate you taking your time.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Matt, this is great - such a good reminder for us to show up and step into our greatness. It takes Will - it doesn't just happen when we aren't looking. This is my favorite of all your substacks so far. Thanks!