There are a select few individuals born exceptional— for most, greatness is a practice, an attribute to work towards daily.
For me, “greatness” requires a copious sum of sweat equity and a refusal to accept “good” as satisfactory. Over the course of my life, I’ve walked away from a lot of really good things — knowing, that if I held on to that goodness, it would inhibit me from experiencing greatness.
For some, good is enough, for me, it’s not.
The Apple dictionary defines greatness as, “the quality of being great, distinguished, or eminent” and great as, “of an extent, amount, or intensity considerably above the normal or average”. In the dictionary, greatness and great are nouns and adjectives, descriptors.
To me, greatness is a verb, an action word… it’s a tireless passion and the pursuit of leaving a positive mark.
Aspiring to be great is hard.
It’s painful to step outside of the norm and strive for something better than average and it often begins incredibly uncomfortably and messy. Greatness comes from a willingness to let go of perceived limitations and a commitment to do work. To be great, one must accept that greatness takes constant hard work.
I’ve learned, it’s impossible to experience true greatness without embodying the qualities of greatness wholeheartedly — seeking greatness in relationships, friendships, career, health, and spirituality. It’s important to note that greatness is not derived from the immediate outcomes of ones’ efforts; yet instead, it’s measured by the attitude and approach in which ones’ endeavors are pursued.
Great people realize failures can manifest marvelously and continue to live greatly in spite of difficulty.
Sir Issac Newton said “if I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” His sentiment is the foundation of my greatness: my community. When you are continuously surrounded by great people, it requires far less effort to be great — this realization was a catalyst for The Julia Sparkman Agency.
It takes an enormous effort to be truly great, I founded The Julia Sparkman Agency to support organizational leaders and their team members on their paths to greatness. True greatness requires an outside perspective, an actionable plan, and accountability.
The Julia Sparkman Agency is shifting the paradigm of our current work/life experiences — elevating greatness as an organizational norm instead of an elite exception. It takes courage to be great…Are you living greatly or are you just good at what you do? What will it take for you to infuse greatness in all your pursuits?
Pursuing greatness is neither egotistical nor self-serving. As the individual becomes great, so will their community.
Greatness is finding your spark so others’ can light theirs, too.
The Julia Sparkman Agency logo was proudly made by Humble Goods.