The Seed of Greatness

Transcript

Let’s talk about the seed of greatness.

I was reading again and reviewing my notes and highlights from Abraham Maslow’s Toward a Psychology of Being.

I found this highlight, this quote:

He who belies his talent, the born painter who sells stockings instead, the intelligent man who lives a stupid life, the man who sees the truth and keeps his mouth shut, the coward who gives up his manliness, all these people perceive in a deep way that they have done wrong to themselves and despise themselves for it. Out of this self-punishment may come only neurosis, but there may equally well come renewed courage, righteous indignation, increased self-respect, because of thereafter doing the right thing; in a word, growth and improvement can come through pain and conflict.

Of course I will remind you again of that famous quote from Napoleon Hill when he wrote “every setback, every obstacle, every heartache contains within it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”

I am reminded of the great novel by Ayn Rand The Fountainhead and there’s that scene in Roark’s career in his rival architect Peter Keating’s career.

They have a discussion and it turns out that Keating for many years when he was a child he wanted to be a painter, an artist and his mother put pressure on him and suppressed that idea.

And Keating bought into that, he believed his mother that it wasn’t noble to be a painter, that it was worthless, that his dreams were worthless.

There they stand Roark and Keating perhaps at 40 or 50 years old accomplished architects in some sense and Keating says “I have something to show you, I don’t know if it’s much” and he produces some of these paintings he’s been doing over the last months.

And Roark, this powerful dominant man of purpose and will, this ubermencsch as some might describe him says “Peter, it’s too late” and with that Keating’s dreams vanished.

Roark was wrong, he was so very wrong. Of course it is not too late. Keating still had that inspiration, dream and spark within him and the opportunity to become a painter. The great painter perhaps but someone who is fulfilled in his own actions.

I wonder actually its kind of interesting because what Roark said might have been a test because having someone of that stature, someone so accomplished in front of you telling you no, at that point you say maybe yes.

Yes I will be a painter. Yes I will continue with this because it gives me pleasure, this intrinsic pleasure and enjoyment of something I really want to express and developed.

It’s never too late, Keating had that opportunity just as we all have that opportunity if there’s something painful from our past, some story, something suppressed we can right now choose to bring it to light and give it life and feed it nourish it and give it water. Allow that seed to grow at any stage, that seed of greatness is within us.