Greatness: The Dark Side

Make the most of yourself… for that is all there is of you. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

What makes some men and women great, and other ones fall?

What makes a person great? Is it his clothing, possessions, or educational level?

Is it his personality, ability to never give up, or achievements?

Or, is it his talents and how he gives back to his community?

In this series of articles, we will focus on the Seven Rules traits that make ordinary people great and see why great men fall from the top of greatness.

We know great people by name, like stars and superheroes, and a few of us know about their stories, and less know about their mistakes. In other words, we don’t see the dark side of the picture, some people think about great people like superheroes and can not be imitated or repeated as they do not know how those people climbed the success stairs one by one and maybe their path was full of thorns and bumps. And some others forgot that great men are as human as we are, and we can follow their steps to greatness.

Another dark side of the same picture that we don’t notice mostly, because of the shining greatness of great men that blinding the eye from their mistakes. This too, makes us forget that they are human and they make mistakes.

Through research, we have compiled some rich examples of great men and women throughout history and the things they had in common that made them who they are: historical figures permanently etched into our memory. These people inspire us to do our best. They are revered worldwide for their abilities to carry out the impossible, rise above the most daunting challenges, and deliver ideas, inventions, and revolutionary ways of living that permanently change how we see the world.

How can you and I, ordinary people from an ordinary upbringing, become someone great?

Perhaps the best thing to do is to learn by example. The road to success is not smooth. It is not met by merely working hard. The path to success will have many bumps, holes, bridges that are out, and roadblocks that you must breakthrough.

Many people believe success is a linear path. They think it is a path that is straight, narrow, easy to follow, and has a finish line. This could not be further from the truth! You will likely get lost on the path to success and will have to turn to different sources and gurus for help and assistance. There is nothing wrong with doing this.

The road to success has no finish line; this is something many overlook. Yet, even after you no longer walk upon the earth, your success can and should have a lasting impact. Consider Walt Disney. His beloved characters are known around the world and are universally recognized by people of all ages. Even the very young finds joy in Disney cartoons, and the very old remember them from the days of their youth.

It is also important to remember that success is a journey that has no end. One cannot achieve a goal and then state that they have crossed the finish line. Consider Dr. Martin Luther King Junior, who promoted an agenda of peace, seeking to bring quality among his black brothers, sisters, and their white counterparts. Today, his message still resonates among millions of people, illustrating the importance of adopting a policy of tolerance and unity and not considering skin color in determining whether or not somebody is worthy, but the content of one’s character instead.

Another critical thing to remember is that failure is not something to be feared. Instead, successful people embrace the chance to show others that they can and will succeed. Take, for example, the elite tennis player Stan Smith. He began as a ball boy and was thought to be much too clumsy for tennis by his betters. Nevertheless, he showed them all they were wrong by winning at Wimbledon as well as taking home eight Davis Cups. Likewise, successful people know that failure can and will happen, but instead of giving into fear and letting it control them, they take the bull by the horns and make their dreams happen regardless of what others say.

Failure does not mean that mistakes are to be avoided. However, mistakes can lead to great men and women falling. Unfortunately, some people get wrapped up in their success and believe that their flaws and mistakes will go unnoticed. In the other half of this book, we will discuss this further. The sun may come out and shine and bring everybody’s focus to its beauty, but in the shadows, mistakes can lurk like unwelcome pests.

You will find out that the people we discuss inside this book have several common traits. Of course, some have them more prominently than others, but every one of these great people embodies these particular traits. Knowing and internalizing these traits will make you a better person overall and certainly much more successful, no matter how big or small your venture is.

The common traits of the great men and the seven rules they followed to make their own path to greatness also will discuss how much they are human, not superheroes and could make mistakes too, and what are these seven mistakes they did which made them fall from the greatness top.

The common traits that you will find  within each and every article of this series, under different topics of the dark side of greatness, includes :

1. Self-Love – Be sure that you respect yourself. This is achieved by taking care of yourself and telling yourself positive affirmations every day. The greatest leaders took care of themselves in mind, body, and spirit. They ate well when they could, got exercise, and believed in themselves. Positive self-talk will help you build confidence and have faith in yourself.
2. Avoid Anger – Even when people told the great Elvis Presley he would amount to nothing, which undoubtedly made him angry, he persevered to become the beloved King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Feeling angry about something is normal, but holding onto it forever will focus on a place it doesn’t need to be.
3. Avoid Making Excuses – Do not blame others for any shortcomings you perceive about yourself. The beautiful and talented Oprah Winfrey grew up poor in a dirt-floor home in rural Mississippi. She is also a sexual assault survivor. Despite this extreme adversity, her surroundings were not an excuse. She was still able to work hard and become the billionaire she is today. Blaming co-workers, family, economic status, or other outside factors will not help in achieving greatness. Recognizing they exist and overcoming them, rather, is admirable and an example of self-awareness.
4. Start Small – The path to greatness is not something any great men and women achieved overnight. They started small, and you can too. For instance, JK Rowling, acclaimed author of the beloved Harry Potter series, finished the first manuscript of the series’ first novel on an old manual typewriter. She did not have a fancy computer or software on which to write one of the most loved books of all time. This first step was a monumental one for the struggling, divorced mother.
5. Be Educated – This does not mean that you must attend a prestigious private school or even an Ivy League University. It would help if you educated yourself in the ways of the world, and it is much easier than ever to do this thanks to the magic of the Internet. Thanks to the Internet, we can experience cultures and her life experiences from people we’ve never met halfway around the world. When traveling, talk to people and get their thoughts and opinions. The way to open your mind is only done partially through
6. books and classroom instructions; the more substantial part is done through real-world experience. Thus, for example, Orville and Wilbur Wright, American flight pioneers, had only three years of high school education under their belts.

The purpose of these articles is to provide you with insight into what the greatest men and women have done and ways in which you can emulate their success, thereby carving your very own path and making a name for yourself, also know they were not superheroes, they were human like you and made mistakes too.

You can too become great but be warned that the process is far from easy.

follow the articles to know more

to be continued