"Singleness of purpose is one of the chief essentials for success in life, no matter what may be one's aim."
~~ John D. Rockefeller
While being interviewed about what separates the good football players from the great football players, former NFL Caoch Bill Parcells was quoted as saying, "I've seen many ball players who had average talent, but it was the desires of their heart that made them great." He ended by stating, "I've actually never seen a player succeed who had great talent, but no heart."
In other words, the heart is the determining factor in one's success....and that goes for everything in life, not just football.
In order for us to become one of "the Greats" of and for this world, we must "have heart" and take pride in everything we do. Acknowledge the satisfaction that comes with taking care of even the menial and mundane jobs. These small tasks are significant and actually fulfill a greater sense of purpose for our soul than just the simple chore at hand.
I am constantly reminding my children to put their dirty clothes in the laundry room, instead of right smack dab in the middle of their bedroom floor. It's the same thing with putting dirty dishes in the sink, picking up trash if they see any on the floor and for the love of PETE......putting a new roll of toilet paper on the holder when another roll has run out! I mean, seriously, this one takes all of 5 seconds to do, but for some reason my crew seems to be allergic to this particular task. Apparently, I'm not alone, as this seems to be a universal problem with kids not wanting to handle this particular bathroom duty.
But to me, this one little easy-breezy act of replacing the toilet paper says so much about a person. If you are one who automatically puts a new roll on the empty holder, that tells me that you are thoughtful, caring, neat and you have no problem taking care of business, no matter how menial it may seem to others. You are a "doer".... A "no-skimping," "take-the-bull-by-the-horns," "let's-get-it-done" type of leader. That's right, a bona fide leader. I'll even go a step further and tell you that I fully expect you to do great things with our life. GREAT things!
How could this "toilet paper test" tell me all of this? Easy!
Nothing is too small, or beneath you. You see a job that needs taking care of and you take care of it. You are one who realizes that even the "little things" have significant meaning and purpose. You do this chore, not just for yourself, but for the common good of those who come behind you. And ultimately, it's just the polite and right thing to do.
When you recognize that your purpose is far greater than yourself, then it matters not how menial or mundane each tiny step is that one needs to take in order to see a project, goal or dream to fruition. Each step of the process is actually crucial to the mainstay and integrity of your mission.
Nick Saban, Head football coach for Alabama University, once made the statement, "Everyone assumes that people want to be the best that they can be, but I think most people are okay with just getting by and being average."
Are we? Is he right? Are most of us just simply satisfied with being average? It's an easy and comfortable place to be for most, I assume. But is it your heart's truest desire to be complacent with being average? If it is, then so be it, but if it's not, then ask yourself this question: "Am I doing everything in my power to be the very best that I can be at whatever it is I am doing at that moment?"
It's a very simple, yet profound question to ask oneself.
"Am I using all of the talents and gifts that God gave me without taking short-cuts and skimping on my abilities?"
A well-know and beloved columnist, Erma Bombeck, stated it best with a quote I have hanging in my kitchen to remind me every single day of my ultimate job for this world. She wrote,
"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would have not a single bit of talent left and could say, 'I used everything You gave me.'"
Teri
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