I believe there is greatness in all of us, and I’m not just saying that. I truly believe that everyone has the capacity to do amazing things. For some of us, however, we have forgotten this truth, or we may just simply not know it in the first place. But either way, that truth remains. John Maxwell once said that “people grow at two points in their lives,” he says, “Number 1, people grow when they learn enough so that they want to, and number 2, when they hurt enough so that they have to.”

It’s like when you’re sick and tired of being sick and tired, and you become open to changing as a result. And that’s what tapping into your inner greatness is all about. 

Pain and Possibility

There was a lot of pain, trauma, and abuse in my upbringing. And more than that, there was also a lot of poverty. In fact, oftentimes, as I was growing up, I quite frequently wondered to myself if I would ever have enough to:

• Build a family
• Own a home
• Buy a car
• Do any good, etc.

And here’s what’s even crazier… Even when I started succeeding, I didn’t think that it would last. The funny thing is, I did break out of the fears from childhood and succeed in a profession that I felt really good about. However, in the back of my mind, there were always questions…

• Am I worthy?
• Do I deserve this?
• Can I sustain this?
• When am I gonna wreck it?
• When am I gonna lose it all?

And guess what? I actually did lose it all. In my early 30s, I lost my marriage, experienced unemployment during a career transition, and was even ostracized by my community. 

Putting the Pieces Back Together

Then, I went through a season where I was trying to figure out how to make a living. This was a difficult period. I went into business with a guy who literally robbed me of $50,000. The major breakthroughs in our lives often occur in cascades—where everything seems to happen quickly and all at once. And guess what… So do the breakdowns. And that’s what happened to me. 

I was lost. And at that point, as you can imagine, all the memories of the abuse and the trauma came flooding back. This led me into a deep depression. Depression is a horrible place. It feels like every day, there is no sunshine, even when the sun is shining. 

When you’re depressed, it feels like every day just doesn’t seem to end fast enough. You don’t want to get up, even when your alarm clock screams at you. And that was me. I was hopeless for my future. So much so that I tried to take my own life. Thankfully, I didn’t succeed.

The Light in the Darkness

Despite the dark times in my life, there were a couple of things I was able to hold on to. One of them was my beautiful children. And while my kids are all grown up now, they were only 4 to 6 years old when things fell apart for me. And I’ll tell you what: I kept going because of them. They were the light in the darkness that gave me hope to keep going. 

And it was through this whole process that my focus began to change. I started looking toward the future and what I wanted to create. I start thinking about legacy, who I wanted to be, and, more importantly, what I wanted to leave behind for those I love. 

A Passion to Start a Legacy

I soon realized something profound that changed my life forever. My dad abandoned our family when I was just a baby. And now, I had kids of my own. As a result, this allowed me to see that if I did go off the deep end, I would only be giving my kids the legacy that my father gave to me. So, I had a passion to make a new legacy. 

I may not be able to be the perfect father, but I was committed to being a present father. I was going to be purposeful. I was going to be intentional. I was going to care about my kids. 

4 Tips to Awaken the Greatness Within You

I’m happy that I can look back at that time when I tried to take my own life, and confidently say that I have awoken the greatness within me. For this reason, I want to share a few tips that really helped me rise out of that dark period. 

1. Competence: Where Do You Shine?

No matter how much adversity you’ve faced, you have greatness that lies within your areas of competence. No matter how much hardship you’ve faced, there is greatness within you in the areas of your competence. Your competence refers to your talents, gifts, and strengths. There are places where you absolutely shine. That’s where your greatness will come into effect. 

2. Community: Where Do You Blossom?

You need to understand where you blossom, and this is linked to community. The only thing that really matters in life is your relationships with other people. We need each other. We literally can’t live (at least not for very long) without one another. There is power when people support each other—we need to be there for each other. 

3. Cause: Where Would You Lay It All Down?

What is the thing that would compel you the most? In other words, what do you believe you’re here to do? How do you help others to flourish? We’re not here to just live for ourselves. And once we learn that we can make a genuine difference in the lives of others, we not only feel compelled to make that difference, but we also feel better about ourselves as a result. 

4. Challenge: Where Will You Best Grow?

Can I be honest with you? I love comfort. I love sitting at home with my wife and kids. However, I know that is not where I am going to grow. I know I can only grow when I face and overcome challenges. And it’s the same with you. If you want to awaken the greatness within, it comes down to challenge. What can you do to challenge yourself?

Final Thoughts

Your greatness is waiting for you. It’s sleeping, lying dormant and ready for you to tap into and release it. The question is, will you heed the call? If your answer is yes, we are here to help. At Certified Flourishing Coach, we are an expert team of coaches and facilitators who are here to help you reach your full potential in life and business. So, if you’re ready to flourish, contact us today to learn more. 

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