Every living creature on this earth can do something great. – Minnesota Fats
Minnesota Fats, born Rudolph Wanderone (1913-96), was an American pool hustler, and today’s Thought comes from an appearance he made on the 25th anniversary special of ABC’s Wide World of Sports with pool player Willie Mosconi, generally regarded as the best pool player ever. Though Mosconi usually beat Minnesota Fats, and Fats was known to lose intentionally in deference to royalty and celebrities, Fats claimed he never lost when playing for money.
Now, Minnesota Fats was brash, but today’s Thought cannot be dismissed as the witless rambling of a blatherskite. Fats was great himself and like many great men and women they had a great belief in others because they had a great belief in themselves. It’s that belief in yourself that often means the difference between success and failure, between great and merely good.
It is of no particular consequence what you are great at, either. All that matters is it stems from something deep inside you. It may not gain you notoriety or make you rich or cause you to live down the ages. Or then again it might. It doesn’t really matter.
Whether it’s a work of art that future generations will be talking about or your very best quilt that takes top prize at the fair or a solo in the church choir that is the culmination of years of training and practice, it will be uniquely you.
Greatness is there for everyone. It isn’t easy, of course. It takes wisdom to know what you can be great at and what would merely waste your time. It is why I wrote this and am not out training for an Olympic sprint. Then it takes courage to go out and get the most out of the talents you were issued birth. And it takes patience to achieve the desired end.
But we all have greatness inside of us. All we have to do is dare to find it.
