This past six months have been some of the busiest of my life. I do not want to get into a discussion about myself; however, I simply want to share with you what I have learned about people and myself.
In these past six months, I have taken on crazy amounts of projects ranging in difficulty. In short: I am exhausted. I feel sleep-deprived, and I can barely drive a straight line without coffee. Today, I had a member of one of my team's back out because he was overwhelmed. This caused me to reflect on myself because I too feel overwhelmed. I have grown and developed so much, and wow, does it ever feel like it has been longer than six months.
The fact of the matter is that it is hard taking on responsibility and leadership. As the adults say, "It's a real drag." So, why do it? Why force one's self to stay up late and use gas and other resources to accomplish tasks. Why put 100% effort into something that you may not even see a 50 percent return on? Finally, why keep going?
I can't answer this for everyone, but I think I understand why there are only a handful of "Greats" out there. The greats that we remember are the ones that never gave up; they put every thing that they possessed into improving the world around them and themselves. This is what made them great. C.S. Lewis worked tirelessly despite his emotional struggles and difficult life battles. Today, we ember as one of the most inspirational and prolific writers of the past one hundred years. He continues to shape and change lives. But I am not C.S. Lewis, so why should I try?
This is similar to what Dante says before he enters Inferno. He tells Virgil that only heroes like St. Paul or Aeneas can make it through that. Virgil reminds Dante that they are only heroes because they did it; so no, hell is not for heroes—hell proves heroes. Those that never give up, that struggle through the hell of sleep-deprivation and lack of time in their lives; they have the makings of a true hero. It doesn't always need to be giant projects either. St. Therese of the Little Flower taught us to do small things constantly. This never fails to inspire the world around us.
In my own work, I constantly seek to improve myself, but I also work to motivate my teams and to inspire them to imitative and self-improvement. There is no person that cannot learn from their neighbor, and likewise they can also teach their neighbor.
Readers, please do not ever stop trying. Do not give up because you are tired or overwhelmed. Fear comes from being overwhelmed. Being overwhelmed comes from being too far into the future and feeling that one has already failed, however, remember what Augustine taught us: The future is nothing but expectation. In the present, we can always move forward towards a better future. So do not give up! There will be moments where you fail, and that is fine; learn from that mistake and it is no longer a failure, for when is education ever a bad thing? Never. My friends, all of us can change the world and be great. If we inspire those around us with our actions, then they will not forget what you have imparted on them. Hold yourself to a higher standard and never cease to persevere. The fire within you may seem to wan at times, but never allow it to extinguish. Instead, rest and let it grow once more. Remember: Dante makes it though hell because he is determined to be a better man. Dante makes it to Paradise because of this, and as a result he will forever be one of the greats, an inspiration for generations, past and future.
