Paint a lot

The greats weren't great because at birth they could paint. The greats were great because they paint a lot. 

- Macklemore

I realize that what I am about to say could be taken as very arrogant; however, I made a vow to myself to not write for anyone else but myself, and I have a promise to keep. With that said, ever since I was young, I had a dream of becoming great. Not just a child dream, but a real sense of ownership. As if every time I thought it, I was one step closer to making it a reality. And not just any great, but great (with an emphasis on the gr). Like Martin Luther King great, Abraham Lincoln great, Susan B Anthony great... really great, world renowned great. My hang up came when that's as far as the dream went; there was no direction or place in which I could see myself becoming great. All I knew was becoming great became my destiny.

I have recently come across a few of the greats in history and realized the majority of them weren't born great but became great with failure after failure. Blood, sweat, and tears fashioned them into idols people still admire.

• It has been said that Thomas Edison refined the light bulb after over 2000 failed attempts and went on to hold a world record for 1093 patents for inventions. When asked how many more failed attempts he would try, Edison responded "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."
• Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team and went on to become the best basketball player in the world to date (yes, he is still better than Kobe Bryant).
• Albert Einstein couldn't talk until he was four years old. His teacher told his parents he wouldn't amount to much, and as everyone knows, he is considered to be one of the smartest men to walk the earth.
• The Beatles were rejected by Decca Recording studios and were told they have no future in show business. They went on to perform for over ten thousand hours straight in Hamburg, and now are world known as one of the greatest, most talented bands in all of history.
• And my favorite: Walt Disney was fired from a newspaper who told him he lacked imagination and had no original ideas. And yet, he created the happiest place on earth for kids and adults, created some fo the best movies, and is now synonymous with imagination.

When I read about these greats, I can't help but smile in adoration. They were very talented, smart, and skilled individuals, yes, but that's not what made them great. What made them so great was their journey. The beauty in the ashes, the glisten in their tears, the rose in the thorn bush.

I still don't have it all figured out, but I know I'm on the right road. I had a conversation with my mom the other day. She told me she was worried about me living in Los Angeles. I stopped her (obviously frustrated with the constant disapproval of my current living location from most people living in my home state) and as I spoke, I realized half way through my little rampage, I was talking to myself. I have a dream, a dream of becoming truly a great individual. I'm not there yet, but I am proud of where I am at, the person I am, and the person I know I will become. I'm working towards my destiny, one step, mistake, breath at a time. It doesn't matter where I start to harness my greatness, because my goal isn't city wide, state wide, or even nation wide. All that matters is that I am able to harness my greatness somewhere and not stop until I have reached my destiny. Until I do, it's back to the drawing board; I need to paint. a lot.