Thanks to Amis and his Playground for sharing this piece... So worth the read...
WHAT DO YOU EVANGELIZE?The Greatness Guide – by Robin Sharma
Being an “evangelist” has negative connotations in the world we reside in. But an evangelist, by definition, is simply someone who spreads good news. It’s someone who gets stuck on a big idea or a passionate cause and then walks out into his day and spreads the message like a virus. It’s someone who gets so engaged in doing something important that it’s all he thinks about, dreams about, talks about. It’s a human being who understands – at a cellular level – what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. meant when he said: “If you have not discovered something you are willing to die for, then you are not fit to love.” This troubled and uncertain world of ours needs more evangelists: human beings doing great things, blessing lives by their actions, making a difference.
Where did most people’s passion for greatness go? Each of us had it as kids. We wanted to be superheroes, astronauts, poets and painters. We wanted to change the world, stand on mountaintops and eat lots of ice cream. Then, as we aged, life began to do its work on us. Fearful people snickered at our dreams. Disappointments began to show up. Life begun to hurt us and we began to buy into the propaganda that says we should not think too big, reach too high and love too much. Breaks my heart to think about it. But that’s exactly what happens.
You are meant to shine. I believe that fiercely. You are here to find that cause, that main aim, that vital destiny that will move you at the most vital visceral level and get you up at the crack of dawn with fire in your belly. You are meant to find something your life will stand for that will consume you, something so beautiful and meaningful you’d be willing to take a bullet for it. It might mean developing people at work and helping them live their highest potential. It might mean being an innovator who adds outrageous value to your clients and brings cool products to the world. Your cause might involve elevating communities or helping people in need. I recently read about a lawyer who said he was so passionate about being of service to a group of victims he was representing that he wouldn’t give up until there was blood coming out of his eyes. Extreme? Maybe. An evangelist? Definitely.
I’m an evangelist. Talk to anyone who knows me and they’ll tell you that my oxygen is helping human beings lead without title and getting organization to world-class. Sure I have my down times and hard days – find me someone who doesn’t. But mostly you’ll find me full of enthusiasm, high energy and delight at spreading my message. Am I more special than you? Absolutely not. I’ve just found my Cause.
I don’t know what your life’s Most Important To Do is. That’s for you to figure out (through some deep reflection, introspection and soul-searching; doing within a journal is a wise idea). But I do know this: When you find the mission that your life will be dedicated to, you’ll wake up each day with that fire in your belly I mentioned. You won’t want to sleep. You’ll be willing to move mountains to make it happen. You’ll find that sense of internal fulfillment that may be missing from your life. And you’ll preach that message to anyone who’ll listen. You’ll become an evangelist.
