How many of us watch the Super Bowl each year just to see the messages? Maybe that is just me? Yes, the game is exciting, but my favorite part is watching the creativity of the commercials. I love that in just a few seconds a wonderful message is delivered in each commercial. Ads seem to speak to us above and beyond the product… they give us a message of Hope, Joy, Action and Encouragement in a thought provoking way.
A great example of this would be the Nike ad that inspired us to action with their commercial message JUST DO IT! and another of their ad campaigns that aired during the Olympics also had a powerful message:
FIND YOUR GREATNESS….
That ad campaign was focused on athletes….
but to me this message is for everyone who wants to achieve or excel in something.
An excerpt from the script from a Nike ad…..“Find Your Greatness” seeks to inspire everyone in their own personal achievements…..
The truth is greatness is for all of us.
This is not about lowering expectations,
its about raising them for every last one of us.
Because greatness is not in one special place,
and it is not in one special person.
Greatness is wherever somebody is trying to find it.
One of my favorite quotes:
“Do what you can
Where you are
With what you have”
Theodore Roosevelt
I guess I like this saying because it spoke so clearly to me when I was starting my selling career …I was a young woman, rather quiet and I lived in a comfort zone that kept me limited to a 4-mile radius of my home because of fear of driving on highways or over bridges. Sounds silly, but it was a real concern to me! I was starting out with a company that was only 9 years old with a relatively unknown product. So I did do what I could do- Where I was – With what I had.
I started out by willingly following the action steps advised by my company to begin my business. Making one appointment at a time….neighbors, friends and acquaintances, then later from referrals, introductions and opportunities from public demonstrations. From those humble beginnings I gained confidence to do more and bit by bit I expanded my world. I found greatness in the courage of enacting small steps at first and then, over time, I dared to think bigger, to reach higher and to risk more.
Where do you find your greatness?
I found mine in Persistence, being Tenacious, Disciplined, in a Daily Routine and being ‘Willing’ to ‘live in my vision not my circumstances’. My greatness was getting up everyday to accomplish just one measurable thing that would bring me closer to my goal. I can remember people saying to me “you are growing” of course they did not mean my height (I wish) but they were sort of patting me on the head to say “you are getting better… gaining in self growth”….
Greatness does not show up all at once… it evolves from one experience to another. From awareness to awareness; on how to do things in a better way. In confidence itself, gained by doing the necessary daily actions for progress. By getting up each day to accomplish something toward achieving your goal even when you don’t feel like doing it. Feelings are very deceptive, but actions can allow measurable progress. Again I ask…”Where do you find your greatness?”
I challenge you to take a moment to think about where you “Find your Greatness”.
I would love to hear your answers about what you discover in seeking your own greatness….
~Barbara
Becky Seim says
Barbara,
You are so encouraging!
Sylvia Lira says
Thank you Barbara I love to read about your life and how you began your career. I find that every time I fail I must get up and do it again only better.