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How You Define Greatness Defines You

accidental creative

How do you define “greatness”?

I (Todd Henry) spend a lot of time interacting with brilliant people and studying great minds, and the more I do, the more I’ve become convinced that how we define greatness ultimately defines our life.

If you define greatness as the pursuit of a bigger title and office, that will define your life.

If you define greatness as accumulating a lot of knowledge about something, that will define your life.

If you define greatness as being the best at performing some task, that will define your life.

If you define greatness as loving your family well, that will define your life.

If you define greatness as choosing to engage every single act and interaction in your life with purpose, that will define your life.

How we define greatness defines us. In the end, it’s probably the single biggest determinant of the course of our life.

I once heard a South African friend share the reason behind the urgency with which he approaches his work. He said that many people believe that the most valuable land in the world is found in the oil fields of Saudi Arabia, the skyscraper-lined streets of Manhattan, or the diamond mines of South Africa. His contention, however, is that the most valuable land in the world is not in any of these places, but rather in the cemetery, because it is there that we find buried the unsurpassable value of businesses never started, novels never written, and dreams never pursued. He challenged listeners to “die empty.”

This prompted me to write the words “die empty” on the inside of my notebook and to affix them to the walls at work and home. My goal, each and every day, is to get out of me whatever is inside that is of value to others. To do my work each day. To, hopefully, in some small measure, bring freedom to those with whom I work. As I do this, I am pursuing my own definition of greatness in my life.

In an interview for our podcast, brand expert Kristian Andersen said, “It’s important to realize that you will be known for what you do, so you’d better get busy doing what you want to be known for.” I couldn’t agree more. Regardless of what this means to you, there is no better time than now to get moving on the things that are important, and that begins by choosing to establish rhythmic practices in your life and work.

I hope that you will join me in the effort to empty yourself each day, and to strive to find your unique voice. Don’t go to the grave with your best work still inside of you. Die empty.

* Source: The Accidental Creative by Todd Henry

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