Everyday Greatness: Inspiration for a Meaningful Life

366 Pages·2009·1.6 MB·English

by  Stephen R. Covey

Everyday
Greatness
Inspiration for a Meaningful Life
Everyday
Greatness

Reader's
Digest
INSIGHTS AND COMMENTARY BY
Stephen R. Covey
Compiled by David K. Hatch
Rutledge Hill Press®
Nashville, Tennessee
A Division of Thomas Nelson Publishers
www.ThomasNelson.com
Copyright © 2006 by FranklinCovey Co.
and The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc.

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
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Published by Rutledge Hill Press, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc.,
P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, Tennessee 37214.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Covey, Stephen R.
Inspiration for a meaningful life : everyday greatness Steven R. Covey and Readers’s Digest Compiled by
David K. Hatch.
p. cm.
Includes bibiographical references.

ISBN-13: 978-1-4016-0241-3 (hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-4016-0241-X (hardcover)
ISBN-13: 978-1-4016-0356-4 (IE)
ISBN-10: 1-4016-0356-4 (IE)
1. Conduct of life. I. Hatch, David K., 1958–
II. Readers’ Digest Association. III. Title.
BJ1531.C69 2006
170'.44—dc22
2006019786

Printed in the United States of America
06 07 08 09 10 — 7 6 5 4 3
CONTENTS

Introduction

SEARCHING FOR MEANING

1. Contribution

2. Charity

3. Attention

TAKING CHARGE

4. Responsibility

5. Courage

6. Discipline

STARTING WITHIN

7. Integrity

8. Humility

9. Gratitude
CREATING THE DREAM

10. Vision

11. Innovation

12. Quality

TEAMING WITH OTHERS

13. Respect

14. Empathy

15. Unity

OVERCOMING ADVERSITY

16. Adaptability

17. Magnanimity

18. Perseverance

BLENDING THE PIECES

19. Balance
20. Simplicity

21. Renewal

Afterword

Acknowledgments

Notes
INTRODUCTION

DR. STEPHEN R. COVEY
I
feel blessed.
In a world where turmoil dominates the evening news and words of
discouragement often prevail, I feel blessed to meet daily with individuals
around the globe whose lives convince me that there is an abundance of good
among us.
In a day when we hear so much of corporate scandals and ethical breaches, I
feel blessed to associate with leaders of nations, heads of business, and first time
supervisors whose lives are filled with integrity and moral fortitude.
In a time when echoes of crime, war, natural disasters, and disease are
common, I feel blessed to work with law enforcers, military experts, civic
administrators, and medical professionals who sacrifice much and whose
intentions are honorable.
In an age when parenthood and family ties are being challenged as perhaps
never before, I feel blessed to know strong fathers and noble mothers who by
day and night do their best to provide sustenance and nurturance for their
children.
And, in an era when schools and youths are being bombarded with negativism
and sensitive social dilemmas, 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.
Indeed, I feel blessed to encounter 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.
Probabilities are high that you are such a person.
A COLLECTION FOR OUR TIMES

Yes, I believe that the majority of people in this world are good people doing
good things, and that we should not let the noise of the negative minority drown
out the steady sound of good that is around us.
But let me also say this. While so many of us are up to good things and
probably deserve more credit than we give ourselves, most of us know that the
goodwe are doing does not always represent our best. And so in our quieter
moments, we sense there is still more we can be getting out of life, more we can
be giving.
Isn’t that true for you?
I like to approach life with the belief that my most important work is always
ahead of me, not behind me, and my personal motto is “Live life in crescendo.”
As a result, I feel a persisting desire to stretch myself in new directions, to look
for worthy ways to make a difference. And when I personally experience the
desire for life enhancement, I find it valuable to have a resource such as this
collection available for reading and reflection. Gathered by Reader’s Digestfrom
decades of classic “success” literature and from many of the most currently
respected people around the globe, it is a true treasury of timeless principles and
practical insights for optimizing life—a collection for our times.
For you, I hope this collection will have at least three outcomes. First, I hope
you will be able to sit back, relax, and enjoy your reading. Let’s face it. Life is
not easy. The world is in commotion and all forecasts point toward more
turbulence ahead. So much of what we hear and read these days is
discomforting, even rattling. As such, it is increasingly rare to be able to sit
down and enjoy an uplifting reading experience such as this.May you find it to
be a refuge from the storm, a haven of hope.
Second, I hope this collection will provide you with inspiration as to how you
personally can get a little more out of life—and, yes, give a little more, too. For
more than eighty years, Reader’s Digesthas been a fountain of insights for
effective living. We are so fortunate to have literally hundreds of their most
inspiring stories and insights brought together in this one collection. My desire is
that some piece of what you read will provide the nudge you may be seeking to
advance you from doing good to doing your best, both today and in your
pathways ahead.
Third, 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.Trust yourself to become one of the best, and watch your
influence grow.
EVERYDAY GREATNESS

Occasionally, the world witnesses a heroic feat or discovers a person with rare
talent. Every now and then, a scientist makes a pivotal discovery or an engineer
designs a revolutionary device. Each decade or so, a pair of politicians sign a
bold peace initiative. Annually, extravagant affairs tout the year’s best actors,
musicians, athletes, and salespeople, while hometown festivals crown the person
who can eat the most chili peppers or sound the best yodel.
Such singular events and accomplishments often appear in sizzling media
headlines under the banner of “greatness.” And in most cases they do represent a
type of greatness that is deserving of attention and applause. For many of them
represent achievements that move society forward in significant, progressive
ways, while others simply add a much needed measure of spice and humor to
life.
But most people know there is another type of greatness that tends to be more
quiet by nature, one that generally escapes the headlines. Yet, it is a greatness
that in my opinion is deserving of higher honor, even more respect. I call it
“Everyday 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.
When asked to describe Everyday Greatness, people typically respond with
descriptions of individuals they know personally, such as a farmer who year in
and year out weathers the storms of life, provides for family, and helps
neighbors. Or a mother who knows she is not perfect but who perseveres in
doing her everyday best to exhibit unconditional love to a challenging child.
They describe a grandparent, a teacher, a work colleague, a neighbor, or a friend
who is always dependable, honest, hardworking, and respectful of others. Above
all, they describe someone who is within reach of emulation, sensing that they
do not have to be the next Gandhi or Abraham Lincoln or Mother Teresa to
exhibit Everyday Greatness.
Yes, the type of people they describe when trying to define Everyday
Greatness are the same caliber of people I described in the opening lines of this
Introduction—people who, despite the negative noise in the world, still