'Good' is the Enemy of 'Great'

by Michael Corthell

Many of us who have been or who are successful have looked at our lives and noticed, ''How about that! Everything is going pretty well! We're happy; The kids are doing great; We have enough money; A nice home, etc etc. I have a great job, my family is awesome. Things have never been better!''

''You were designed for accomplishment,
engineered for success, and endowed with the seeds of greatness.''

—Zig Ziglar

It feels wonderful doesn't it? Being safe, happy and content is terrific. But hold just one second. This happy (and very common place) can also be a very dangerous place. If you get too comfortable, and you start to take things for granted—you have settled. Settled for what? Settled for 'just good' or more rightly 'just good enough'. Life has become common place. So what happens next? Discontentment. You can easily get so comfortable in life's routine that there is a very real danger of your life unraveling, because when we settle and get too comfortable, we get lazy — things can start to slide.

Stop and think. You only think things are great when they are merely good because you have no basis for comparison.

You have a checklist that's true. Your business is prosperous. (check) Your spouse is happy. (check) You have a nice home. (check)  Everything is good and there are no surprises. (check) But when you feel this satisfied you actually shut down any room for improvement. It is hard for you to aim for the next level. Things may be good… but what if they were absolutely fabulous and terrific...they were great!?

''Good is the enemy of great. And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great. We don't have great schools, principally because we have good schools. We don't have great government, principally because we have good government. Few people attain great lives, in large part because it is just so easy to settle for a good life.''
—James C. Collins, Good to Great

Most things that move forward, go step by step. How to move from the average 'good' to the absolutely great life? Here are some suggestions—steps you can take, but just remember to never stop reaching toward that great life. Greatness lies just ahead!

Study your life, and engage with it. Always search for newness in it. Examine new goals and opportunities continually. Set your course and be passionate about it.

Be serene, Be concerned (not worried) only about those things that are in your control. Always remember that it is your reaction to events that is most important, not the event itself. Accept life on life's terms.

Remember the true value of friendship. It is priceless and therefore cannot be bought. Cultivate and treasure friendships always. No amount of money, power or fame can take the place of good trusted friends and loved ones.

Keep life simple and seek true pleasure, things that calm you. Seek deep pleasure that is lasting and not transient. Loving people and serving them selflessly is the prime example.

Master your own mind with truth. Resist outside influences that might blow you of course. Never lie to your self. To be a master of your own life's destiny requires absolute direct honesty with the self admission of all faults and defects of character.

Find balance in your life and all things. Stay away from extremes, avoid an excess of anything. Follow: measure, balance, symmetry, harmony and proportion.

Be a responsible human being. Be honest with the world and avoid shifting blame on to it for your own faults and short comings. Accept the consequences of your actions.

Don't be a fool for money. Money is not the solution to your problems, it is the result of you overcoming them. Prosperity needs a partner. It's name is wisdom.

NEVER choose evil. Never do one evil thing to another human being or life form. We get what we give. Never try to get even.

Be kind. And you will be rewarded with kindness. You have heard the phrase ''inkind'' I'm sure.For example, if you do something 'in kind', you do the same thing to someone that they have just done to you. Kindness is behavior marked by ethical characteristics, a happy, pleasant disposition, and a regard for others. It is known as a virtue, and is seen as a highly valuable trait in almost all cultures and religions. Kindness is the apex of human behavior, it is the true greatness.

''Human greatness does not lie in wealth or power, but in character and goodness. People are just people, and all people have faults and shortcomings, but all of us are born with a basic goodness.'' —Anne Frank

So to have a great life, one must think, and act 'good'. To be 'good', be a blessing to others, and be grateful for your life and all that's in it.

____________

Top 10 Rules For Success

by   

James C. Collins, Good to Great

He's an American business consultant, author, and lecturer, a student and teacher of leadership and what makes great companies tick. He has authored or co-authored six books that have sold in more than ten million copies worldwide.