'A transition person is one who breaks the flow of bad - the negative traditions or harmful practices that get passed from generation to generation'

Everyday Greatness | Steven R. Covey

Well, I chanced upon this Reader’s Digest publication at OM Books, Anna Nagar, on 19th December 2022. Steven R. Covey has always been a charmer who gifts his reader with his ‘charm’d magic casements’ that never ceases to amaze us!

This book is an added credence to this credo!

Excerpts -

I feel blessed to be familiar with dedicated teachers and talented youths who are rich in character and committed to make a difference - each in their own unique way… people from all walks of life and all parts of the world who are genuinely good and who do so much to contribute to the world around them. They inspire me.

While so many of us are up to good things, most of us know that the good we are doing does not always represent our best. We sense there is still more we can be getting out of life, more we can be giving.

A Transition Person

I hope this collection will arouse within you a greater passion for being a transition person.

A transition person is one who breaks the flow of bad - the negative traditions or harmful practices that get passed from generation to generation, or from situation to situation, whether in a family, a workplace, a community, or wherever. Transition persons transcend their own needs and tap into the deepest, most noble impulses of human nature.

In times of darkness, they are lights, not judges; models, not critics. In periods of discord, they are change catalysts, not victims; healers, not carriers.

Today’s world needs more transition persons.

Primary Greatness

Everyday Greatness is what I have called, in other settings, “primary greatness.”

It has to do with character and contribution, as distinguished from “secondary greatness,” which has to do with notoriety, wealth, fame, prestige, or position.

Everyday Greatness is a way of living, not a one-time event.

It says more about who a person is than what a person has, and is portrayed more by the goodness that radiates from a face than the title on a business card.

It speaks more about people’s motives than about their talents; more about small and simple deeds than about grandiose accomplishments. It is humble.

THREE EVERY DAY CHOICES

So what leads to Everyday Greatness? The answer lies in three every day choices!  

The three choices that provide the foundation for Everyday Greatness -

The choice to act represents the energy we bring to life - our will power.

The choice of purpose represents our destination - where we choose to go in life, what we choose to accomplish.

The choice for principles then determines the means for how we will get there - how we will attain our goals.

The Chapter closes with a few insightful Reflections for the Reader -

John Baker found Sandia Crest to be a secluded location for pondering his future and the contribution he wished to make. Where is your Sandia Crest? Do you go there often enough?

What comforts are you willing to give up to make a more significant contribution?

to be continued...

PS: You may want to read our past post on Steven Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, [posted on 28th September 2009], HERE.