Living by Principle

What is the path to greatness and how does one get there?  Often we feel that we were meant for something greater in life; that we have this inert potential waiting to get out.  Often this feeling is ignored or brushed off until it diminishes and we continue on with the daily grind.  But in order to nuture that potential and achieve greatness in one's life, it is important to live a principled life.  There are many principles that together can add up to greatness, but it often takes a lifetime to master all of them.  There are 3 principles however that can be implemented fairly easily and quickly, which when utilized will plant the seeds for future bounties.  By adhering to these principles you have begun a journey on the path to greatness:

1.  Develop a network of friends whom you trust unconditionally.  Trust is a tricky notion to define, and unconditional trust is even trickier to establish between people.  The best way to establish this is to be trustworthy yourself and live up to your reputation.  Continue to build your network until you have a base of good people to rely upon for support and connections.  After all, you cannot acheive greatness without the help of others.

2.  Take care of your body and your mind.  While you cannot achieve greatness without the help of others, you must also rely on yourself.  Your body and mind are the vehicle which will take you to greatness and it is therefore important that it be in good enough shape to take you all the way.  Its a tall mountain to climb.  Its hard to say that one is living correctly when it is obvious they have let themselves go.  Further by maintaining good physical stature you develop the fundamental basis of power by having strength and proper body mechanics and posturing.  Having the equivalent in mental stature can only take you far along your path.

3.  Work hard to pull your own weight, working first for yourself, then your family, then your community and the rest of the world.  It is important to put in the discipline needed to acheive and it is not easy.  It takes work and you must meet your own needs and those of the people closest to you before you can help others.  Your work is not finished however once you meet your own needs and in order to unleash your full potential, you must extend yourself to have a positive impact as far and wide as possible. 

These principles are the fundamentals, but there are many more which you will discover along your journey.  Please share those which you have discovered are fundamental toward reaching greatness.