ON GREATNESS
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In a TED talk, Israel Idonije once said consistency defines greatness. When asked if he’s consistent, Idonije sees it as a multifaceted question.
“I try to be. Greatness is multidimensional in all our lives. There are aspects of my life where I am consistent and I would consider myself great because I show up every day.
“But there are aspects of my life where I’m not great because I haven’t dialled in that consistency and dialled in that discipline or that ability to show up whether good or bad. In the areas where I can wake up and be consistent, there is no work to be done there, it comes naturally to me.
“In the areas where I’m trying to be great and I’m not there, it’s really just a matter of finding the why, finding the reason why I’m trying to be great in this aspect, and letting that lead towards my consistency.
“As I’m saying that, there’s also another element in our lives. We don’t have to be great at everything. Yes, being great is hard and it’s a lot of work, but I don’t have to be the greatest artist. I can just do art that is fun that I love and let the pieces come to life, and that’s it. I don’t necessarily have to measure that on the ruler of great.
“Or I can sing a song, and although I’m not the greatest singer, it’s not about being great, it’s just about ‘This is music that I wrote and I want to bring it to the world.’
“In football I wanted to be the best, and you’re measured by sacks and tackles and plays that you can make, and you want to be as great as possible and you have to show up every day and study the playbook and be consistent.
“There are aspects in all of our lives that you want be great — ie. your work or your job — but there are other aspects, which I consider the lifestyle vertical in our lives, where you can still show up consistently, but it’s not for the pursuit of greatness, it’s for the pursuit of internal gratification, it’s for the pursuit of internal balance, and it’s for the pursuit of your own love and self-interest.
“In my old age, I measure things a little differently. It’s not always about winning or being the best. Sometimes it’s just about putting a smile on your face and enjoying that moment.”