It’s difficult to start out writing an essay which immediately delves into the topic of your own potential greatness. Most of us, especially females, are taught to embrace humble virtue and modesty at all times, lest we be perceived as vain or self-involved. It’s always been hard for me to know what to say or do when someone compliments me. Usually I look down or look away and say thank you and mumble and immediately change the subject. Most people aren’t taught how to look for good in themselves, or how they should perceive their spiritual selves in relation to the body they inhabit, or to the world that surrounds them. It’s far from a mystery why so many people (including myself at various points or another) live their lives in a constant state of indecision and confusion. Because I have long questioned my purpose here on Earth, I think it’s safe to assume I haven’t reached my full capacity for personal greatness.
Before I can pinpoint ways to increase my personal greatness, I must answer the question of why I’m not already great and fulfilling my life’s grand purpose. I think the answer to this is very simple, and I already paraphrased it in the previous paragraph. I think I’m still very much in the process of discovering who I am and what I stand for (though, I have a pretty good general idea, so to speak). By the way, when I refer to ‘greatness,’ my definition of the word is personal and interpersonal fulfillment – a great person is at peace with themselves, is working towards a goal bigger than him/herself, and has meaningful, positive relationships with other human beings. As a college student who is only just beginning her journey into deeper spiritual waters by furthering her education, I cannot expect to reach my full, long-term capacity for greatness for quite awhile. I simply have not had all of the necessary life experience. I can, however, strive to be the best 18-year-old college freshman Caitlin I can be. I want to begin this journey by providing as much positive energy to other people as possible. I have recently seen two very positive results as a result of my efforts to provide support and care for others. A former coworker of mine recently confided in me that she had been raped by an acquaintance. When she first confided this to me, I was so shocked and horrified by what had happened to her I was beyond the point where I could give her any intelligent advice or insight. A few weeks after she had revealed her secret, I sent her a quick email just telling her I was thinking of her and praying for her every day, and that she is not alone in her pain. I really felt at the time that I had just spouted off a bunch of unhelpful clichés, and I felt like even though I had nothing particularly insightful to say, saying something was better than saying nothing. I was joyfully surprised when she responded telling me about how moved she was by my message and how I had made her day! This was a moment of realization for me about how even the smallest acts of kindness can have profound effects on others. This is what I want my greatness to look like.
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