“Really great people make you feel that you, too, can become great.”

— Mark Twain

It has been said that great people make the people around them great.

A great athlete pushes his teammates to be champions. A great actor lifts his supporting cast to new heights. A great leader motivates his followers to go above and beyond.

But what defines a “great” person?

Where do we find a website that tells us which people are “great” and which are not? What is the governing body of “greatness?”

Hmm …

What if being “great” means a willingness to better the lives of others?

What if being “great” means learning to *give* more effective and positive feedback?

What if being “great” means being able to *take* feedback from others and act on it?

What if being “great” means not just reading passively, but acting on an author’s words to make changes?

What if being “great” means listening more?

What if being “great” means making sure someone else knows that you will support them even if they fail?

What if being “great” means being willing to accept responsibility when others will not?

What if being “great” means saying I *do* have the time?

What if being “great” means saying thank you to others? treating people as people? saying ‘yes’ more? not being afraid to be kind?

If this is true, then “greatness” is not something you are bequeathed, it is a state of mind. That state of mind which says that I can raise myself up by raising up the people around me.

It means we all can be great.

Cooked dinner for the family, played games with the kids, helped my son with his homework, did some laundry. It was a great day.