A few weeks back, I wrote an Instagram post with the intent to inspire others to be greater than they are today. (“Aspire to be someone you will be proud of next year.” was the quote I put up, here is the link: https://www.instagram.com/p/CJQ_n9RFMEB/). The quote was meant to remind people that the New year is here and they should strive to be better each day so that when they looked back at their year on December 31, 2021, they can see the growth they made. I believe that you can do anything you set your mind to, and my business mission reflects that idea. Now, I do not believe she is wrong in her ways of thinking because there is no “correct” way to live life. In this blog, I want to lay out our discussion so that you can see a person in their natural mindset.

The post started off with her sending a comment about Donald Trump and how he is proud of himself. First off, I am already lost at this point. I am still not sure why she added politics into a quote that has nothing to do with them. I do understand why she said it, but it has nothing to do with this quote. Let me break it down for you.

• She started the comment thread about a person she deems “negative” and based her understanding that – Trump thinks he is good, so, therefore, he is good.

Not sure how taking a quote that is meant to be a question that should be directed at yourself and reflecting it outward about a person you dislike would make your life any better, but that is beside the point. That is like if I ask you what the weather is and you respond that the weather has tornadoes and hurricanes. Yes, that is true about the weather, but it is not pertinent to what the weather is right now. Right now is key when looking at your greatest.

She went on to speak about wholeness and what it entailed. The definition of wholeness is the quality of being complete or a single unit and not broken or divided into parts. From a religious point of view, it means the need for wholeness and harmony in mind, body, and spirit. Complete Spiritual Wholeness. I could tell from her comments and way of thinking that she was a Christian woman. She has a strong faith/belief in God. She also has a good meter for what is right and wrong. However, I do my best to avoid political and religious talks because it is a belief that is pertinent to you. There is nothing I can say or do that will easily alter your reasoning for those choices.

I have spoken before about how important it is to listen to and appreciate others. We all have our own stories to tell, but I believe there are right ways and wrong ways of doing it. If I go into a room and believe that my way of thinking is absolute, then I have lost my growth mindset. There is a well-known quote, “If you are not learning, you are dying.” I believe that in order to grow in life, you should be in a constant state of learning and growth. She interpreted my quote as a discussion about being whole instead of rising toward greatness. From her comments alone, I could tell that she is easily influenced by the negativity of the world. My reasoning for this is that they said. “The majority are negative…but many who are whole.”

As you can tell by now that there is no direct correlation between the quote I shared and her thinking of wholeness. Greatness is about the best you can be each day. That is something that she does not believe. I had to confirm that for myself when I asked her if she believed it was ok for a person not to give their best; she replied yes. I am good at looking at the other point of view when it comes to disagreement, and I believe she is saying that it is ok to take a break. We all get tired, lost, sad, etc. That is the nature of being human, but to live a life worth living requires you to give more than just enough. You should strive for greatness each day, and if you fall short, then you have another chance the next day. However, her thinking can become toxic if you let it.

Toxic thinking is when you start to focus on the negative over the positive. You believe that people are no good, and if something terrible has happened, it can be used as an excuse for your lack of action. Well, if you have a negative mindset, you can keep it and let me know where it takes you in five years. That is why I do not speak about politics and religion because people are so entwined in their thinking that they lose focus on what they are capable of. If you believe the world is mostly negative, then what can you do to make it mostly positive? You can be as whole as you want to feel, but greatness doesn’t wait. If you fail to strive for it, then you will be at the mercy of what life gives you.

What you put forth in the world creates an endless ripple that will go beyond your imagination. What you do each day will have a lasting effect on the world. Make sure that those ripples are intended to do good. You can have your ideals and beliefs, but do not mix them into your actions that will not benefit the world as a whole. I have seen many people like my friend in the comments. I have found that the people who believe the world is good and spread good are the matriarchs of our life. If you are negative, deceitful, arrogant, self-righteous, or pessimistic, then you will be a deterrent to any new person you meet. You can be as whole and as spiritual as you want, but that does not make your mindset positive anymore. You have to filter out all the bad and let only the good into your life. Perhaps then you will be a person I could consider to be “whole.”

In conclusion, greatness and whole are two totally different areas in life. You can be great and not be whole, and vice versa. I believe wholeness is a self-discovery that one must find if one chooses to seek it. The purpose of their being and the effect they can have on the world are traits of wholeness I advocate others to seek. Greatness, on the other hand, is your ability to give your utmost effort in order to achieve wonderful things in your life. Striving to be great is not about the riches and wealth you can attain but rather how you feel by doing it. Making sure you go to bed knowing you did everything in your power for a better tomorrow is a fantastic feeling. Negativity has no place in that mindset, and if you can find what motivates you to be your best each day, then you are on the road to something great.

Until then,

Michael Rearden

Ceo of Reven LLC.