Lately, I have been creating a few quote graphics about greatness. It's been on my mind a lot. I have been wondering what does it mean to be great? What are qualities that are present if someone is great
I know there is greatness in me. I want to define it while also knowing that I will kill it if I do so. A definition does only allow the space of the definition and greatness has no limited space. - I guess there is already some quality of greatness.
What often came up as a belief is when I am great others are not. Looking more closely at that, I realized that I "bought" that when I was in school - parochial school. Only God and Jesus are great, we are sinners. Memories of a few moments flooded in when I heard in my head: Who do you think you are???
I acknowledge that I am a master at being pathetic, playing small. Only, as I have become more and more of me, that is not working anymore. So I guess, it's back to the question about the qualities of greatness.
When you are your authentic self, there is no more judgment of self. It's no longer necessary since there is no image to uphold. With the self-judgment, the judgment of others also disappears. There is a move into allowance; allowance of self and others. This is not being a doormat. NO is still part of the vocabulary and saying it is being kind to myself. Not attempting to change others is a kindness to them.
When I am truly being me, I am willing to be present; present with my self. For me, that means catching thoughts and energies that 'float' by and asking what is going on. Doing that, I became aware of so many beliefs I had, of emotions I did not allow myself to have, be it because I labeled them as bad or too intense and therefore wrong.
How much do we go through life on autopilot. When being present with what is so much shifts and leads to asking questions. It keeps amazing me what can come up as a result of asking: What is really going on here? And following it up with open ended questions can bring up so much insight and awareness. That's when our brilliance comes out.
I found that when I ask for what is really going on, and I truly mean it, the Universe has my back in that it will provide the information I am looking for. I have to be willing to hear whispers; it does not come as a 2x4. I am finding myself reading or listening to information that normally I would not. I will even listen to or read something by someone I absolutely do not agree with. I find it gives me a way to understand where they are coming from.
The funny thing is that I would say I have been present quite a bit, with myself, others and just plain with what is. And yet, if I really check in, there is still a lot of autopilot. With others, one can notice the level of autopilot in what they say, how they talk of things, seemingly present yet not fully.
When we are our authentic selves, on the one hand we are like an island, in the sense that nothing external affects us, and, at the same time, we are intensely connected to all that is. There is the ability to perceive what is going on. That perception may not be cognitive, yet suddenly you feel the need to call a friend only to find out that they needed your support in that moment. It could also be that we perceive the space a friend is in and not do anything, being aware that in this moment it would not be a contribution. That does not mean we can't be energetically present with the friend.
Being our authentic self also does not mean that personally we don't have ups and downs. No longer judging, we have the ability to be with our light and our shadow, not having to hide or even cut off that shadow part. We can be whole. In that wholeness, we can allow others to be whole too. In that wholeness, we can fearlessly contribute our knowledge, our awareness, and our kindness to others and the world.