The Quality that is essential for all greatness!

December 3, 2008 by Innov8motivation
Filed under: Unleashing Greatness 

There is greatness everywhere. Sometimes it is celebrated and at times it dies undiscovered. Wherever there is greatness this special quality is there. The quality transcends racial, geographic, cultural, historic and any other boundary. Between today and all future greatness there are a series of obstacles, difficulties, challenges and problems. The greatest asset in all endeavours of greatness is this essential quality – the ability to stay with it longer than anybody else. It is the ability to stick to the dream. In my dictionary I call it “stick-to-it-tiveness.”
People with this essential quality are the towering celebrated giants of all time. They were willing to stick to the ring when everyone had counted them out. Some were willing to stay on when all hope was lost. Some were willing to endure long moments of solitude, despair and disappointment simply because they believed in a better future. Some endured ridicule for their ideas. Some were persecuted but refused to throw away their convictions. They chose to believe it could be done when everyone thought that that was insanity. They chose to move ahead when the familiar road had come to an end. 

A love affair
All greatness starts with a love affair and love is the greatest motivational force in the world. The future always belongs to those who believe in the beauty and magnanimity of their goals. When our goals become a magnificent obsession, a pure love affair, we increase the chances of realising them. Where love is involved relentless pursuit is a small issue.

All the big shots of today were at one time small shots that kept shooting at their target. Inside and outside the ring they were in love with the golden belt of their dreams. They visualised greatness, they thought greatness, they wanted greatness and they were sold to greatness. Nothing less than the love of their lives could satisfy or pacify their souls. No cheap imitation could appease them. Once they knew what they wanted out of life, they were willing to work like mad, pray like there is no tomorrow and stay on like no other chance would come. Among these luminaries we can count Nelson Mandela and the dream of a free South Africa. On the same line stands the little giant of the Indian slums, Mother Teresa. Together with these luminaries is the eloquent and clear thinking, Advocate Hebert Chitepo. What about the gallant Kwame Nkrumah, the visionary of the African Union?

The true power
The true power that carries people to greatness is never outside them. It is not their circumstances, environment or conditions. It is the fortitude that is within them. The greatest fortresses are not outside or economic but they are mental and attitudinal. Greatness is first an attitude, then a concrete expression.

When we are hardest hit that is when we are prone to look for cover and shelter. It is when we are hardest hit that we must stick to the fight and not choose the flight. It is at the darkest hour of the night that most give up hope for the morning. The morning comes if we can stick it out a little longer. It is often the last key in the big bunch that opens the door of unprecedented opportunity. Every wrong attempt is a step forward. Every disappointment is an appointment with destiny, for those who are willing to stand up to the challenge of tenacity. Being defeated is always a temporary event, but giving up is what makes it permanent.

A lesson in wrestling
All pursuit of greatness is always like wrestling with a gorilla. We do not give up when we are tired. We give up when the gorilla is either tired or dead. This is an attitude that has helped me to persist. Calvin Coolidge bequeathed these precious words to us: “Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “Press On” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”

Greatness starts when we start changing our vocabulary. The words of the weak are: cannot, impossible, unrealizable, unattainable, impractical, unworkable, infeasible, unsolvable, out of the question, unthinkable, difficult, problematic, bothersome, intolerable, unbearable, and any other words that express doubt, unbelief and defeat. When we persist long enough we will win. When we keep at it long enough we will arrive. When we keep moving perhaps we could stumble on something great. However, we never hear of anyone who stumbled upon anything worthwhile while sitting down. If we do not do anything we never need to persist in anything. Greatness without this essential quality is impossible.

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Comments

8 Responses to “The Quality that is essential for all greatness!”

  1. Allen Taylor on December 3rd, 2008 9:15 am

    Nice writing. You are on my RSS reader now so I can read more from you down the road.

    Allen Taylor

  2. Barack Obama on December 3rd, 2008 11:04 am

    totally awesome! I’ll invite you to the white house to give a motivational talk!

  3. mabel pasipamire on December 3rd, 2008 3:58 pm

    thanx milton you have the best words to motivat considering te situation in our country for we shall be like eagles and we shall never faint for the Lord is with us.
    Stay blessed

  4. mabel pasipamire on December 3rd, 2008 4:00 pm

    thanx milton
    you have the exact words of motivation considering the current situation in our country.
    We are more thatn conquerers through Christ.

    Stay blessed

  5. Sikhanyisiwe Mabuza on December 5th, 2008 11:32 am

    i love reading your books and i once had a pleasure of being in one of your workshops ,awesome .continue with your good work and i tell you ,you will write one article from the White house.

  6. Baluku Geoffrey on December 7th, 2008 3:01 pm

    Your motivational topics have always made me keep hope alive.

  7. Hillary Kubvoruno on December 17th, 2008 11:45 am

    This is awesome.Keep it up.

  8. Norman Madzima on February 18th, 2009 5:40 pm

    Can i call you proffessor?YOUR WORK IS ALWAYS CREAM AND JUCY.
    We are feeding on your cream and jucy works of yours keeping them rolling man.Oh by the way SIR.I salute you.

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