Greatness is Diligent Goodness

Often when we think of greatness we think of amazing, flashy talents that tend to entertain, inspire, or stand out in some extreme fashion. While this description may sometimes be accurate, I think that true greatness depends more on one’s ability to diligently be good.
This definition of greatness is not as flashy or as instantaneously amazing as what many people might be used to, but I think it is more impressive. Many people can do great things periodically, sometimes partly out of luck, other times because they truly do have talent. But what makes someone truly great is not what they sometimes manage to pull off, but what they do every day even when circumstances aren’t the most desirable.
Aristotle said, “We are what we repeatedly do; excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Greatness isn’t achieved by one heroic or miraculous act (although these things are bound to happen when you’re surrounded by great people); it is achieved over many years of diligent work and failing and trying again, by forming great habits.
Although sometimes people are born with predispositions to phenomenal talents and abilities, this does not make them great if they don’t do anything to develop that gift. They become great as they dedicate themselves to that talent through consistent hard work and sweat. Others aren’t born with much natural ability, many are even disabled, but that doesn’t make them any less great. In fact, I think that often the greatest among us are the ones who fight with the hardest trials, those who were born in the direst of circumstances. Greatness depends more on what we do with what we have than on what is given in the beginning.
One of the great people in my life is my mom. She is a woman of many talents, but many would not say she’s great based merely on her outer talents. What makes her great is her tenacity and commitment to greatness. She’s not the best garden-weeder, but I don’t know many people who more diligently work in the garden under the hot summer sun. She’s not an amazing chef, but I don’t know many moms who more consistently cook meals for their kids. She’s not the sweetest and most kind lady in the world, but I know of few people who can consistently be as good and happy as she is.
Through their hard work many people have achieved greatness in fields such as music, art, athletics, academics, and others. In order to achieve their level, they undoubtedly needed great traits such as diligence, patience and faith. But the greatest greatness is using these attributes to not only become better at a certain skill, but to become a better person, to develop other Christ-like attributes such as humility, obedience, kindness, charity; to come closer to the greatest of all.