If you don’t know what your great work is, do the work in front of you greatly and it will lead you to your great work.
We know James Earl Jones as the voice of Mufasa in The Lion King, Darth Vader in Star Wars, and as the voice of CNN. Do you know that he had a severe speech impediment? He stuttered so badly that at age five he stopped speaking altogether for the next eight years.
One teacher changed his life. Luckily for all of us, the teacher questioned him about a poem that he wrote, saying, “This is a good poem. In fact, it is so good, I don’t think you wrote it. To prove that you did, you must stand in front of the class and recite it by memory.”
James Earl Jones got through it. He didn’t give up. Both the teacher and the student did their work greatly. Whatever work YOU do, do it greatly. You’ll shine like an example, lighting the way for others. – Shar McBee
P.S. See the comments below if you are concerned about the teacher embarrassing him.
I am unsure if the teacher truly did a “great work” here nor that she did it “greatly”. For what I don’t know is her MOTIVE is singling about Jones to recite the poem from memory in front of the class. It could just as easily been to literally embarrass him and “put him in his place”. Or it may be, as you suggest, that it was to “unlock his reluctance and inspire his confidence.” The one is far different from the other. My point is, doing great work or doing it greatly must be fueled by the proper MOTIVE. And that motive must always be SERVICE TO OTHERS.
Bill,
Thanks for this. James Earl Jones talked about that teacher, crediting him with changing his life. But I know what you mean. You would never want to embarress a child.
Shar
I am unsure if the teacher truly did a “great work” here nor that she did it “greatly”. For what I don’t know is her MOTIVE IN singling out Jones to recite the poem from memory in front of the class. It could just as easily been to literally embarrass him and “put him in his place”. Or it may be, as you suggest, that it was to “unlock his reluctance and inspire his confidence.” The one is far different from the other. My point is, doing great work or doing it greatly must be fueled by the proper MOTIVE. And that motive must always be SERVICE TO OTHERS.