I have a deep and abiding belief that there lies within every individual the capacity for greatness. I do not mean the aged adage that you can turn out to be something you want to be — I am more receptive to Peter F. Drucker’s admonition to not “waste time attempting to place in what the creator left out.” But the possible of almost every individual is far above his or her level of achievement. That so couple of rise to their possible does not in any way diminish the validity of this belief. We often see some obscure individual rise apparently from nowhere to leadership of a cause or a movement, giving proof to the concept that this capacity lies dormant within each and every one of us.

We have been conditioned by life and by the authority figures we grew up with to recognize and accept ourselves as we are, with severe restrictions on our abilities. We had been taught to accept our function and station in life without whining, that the ability to accept and endure our great deal shows strength and character. So long as we are prepared to go via life accepting that which fate has thrust on us as our ordained destiny, so too are we condemned, by our personal resignation, our personal self depreciation, to the ranks of mediocrity. Others may place me down but the option to remain down is mine on your own.

If we can discover within ourselves the courage to problem fate, to say to her and to the whole world, “I am not normal. I will not accept that it is my destiny to live out my life in a humdrum existence, doing things of small consequence, never dreaming, never daring to attain for more.”, then we have pressured open the doorway to, at least the chance of greatness. Leadership author Paul J. Meyers stated, ” there is in our world a huge storehouse of a lot which is approached by some with a steam shovel, by others with a tea spoon.”

“What”, you ask, “if I invest my whole life in pursuit of this great dream however never achieve it? I will really feel robbed, cheated, let down, betrayed.”

Who suffers the worse fate, the guy who fights to no avail with every fibre of his becoming for that in which he really believes or the guy who spends his life whining, “I could have been a contender”? “Man’s objectives should exceed his grasp, else what is a heaven for.” (Robert Browning )

Of all the peoples in the world we, who live in Canada and The United States — countries built on and by the impossible dreams of men and wo of vision and courage, established to soldier on in the face of horrendous odds — have the least excuse for believing in our restrictions, for accepting our fate. With the hundreds of bigger than life legends in our heritage, how can we dare to not think in our personal extraordinary possible?

All of us in North America, certainly throughout the world, must relearn this ability to “dream the impossible dream” and to bring to bear the essential sources, belief, determination and courage to make our dreams arrive accurate.

I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul.(source unconfirmed)

Len McNally is President and founder (in 1996) of The Leadership Centre, devoted to leadership improvement, management team building and alter management via executive and corporate coaching – from the leading floor to the shop floor. With more than thirty many years expertise in sales, advertising and company improvement Len has for many many years been an avid college student of psychology, behavior and determination. He still reads three to four books a month and has writen several book critiques for Amazon.com. He can be attained at (519) 759-1127 or email: the.leadership.centre@sympatico.ca. Other articles may be seen at: http://www.tlc-leadership.com