The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively. ~ Bob Marley

Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard tells the story of Father Pierre Ceyrac, a Roman Catholic Jesuit priest and missionary. For 60 years, Father Ceyrac cared for over 30,000 children in India. He lived to be 98 years old, spending almost all his adult life caring for others.

Here are some of Father Ceyrac’s thoughts:

Despite everything, I’m struck by the goodness of people, even those who seem to have their hearts and eyes shut. It is other people, all others, who create the fabric of our lives and shape the way we live. Each is a note in the “great concert” of existence, as the poet Tagore phrased it. No one can resist the call of love. We always end up opening ourselves to it.

I truly believe that man is intrinsically good. We must always see the good, the beautiful, in a person, never destroy, always look for someone’s greatness without distinction of religion, caste, or belief.

Spirit

We realize the title Johnny chose for this post may strike you as odd, perhaps even cynical. How great can humanity be when you look at the state your world is in right now? War, violence, disease, sickness, political turmoil, greed, anger, and so on—you’re all familiar with that dreary litany.

We know many of you were not raised to believe in your own greatness—just the opposite, in fact. If you thought or, heaven forbid, said, you were great, you were accused of being arrogant, selfish, and totally wrong.

Sound familiar?

And yet we see you for the beings you truly are. You have song of praise to God: How Great Thou Art. But greatness, in your eyes applies only to God—or the infinite power of the universe, or whatever name you prefer for divine energy.

Yet you—each one of you—are equally  great. Yes, you are as great as God. You have never been less than God. For you are all part of the “fabric” of God, if you will. You are God.

It is only in your denial of your own greatness, individually and as the human race, that you managed to create the world you now see. The world you read about in your news media.

But that is all an illusion, albeit one you created and which seems very real to your physical eyes.

The reality is you are great. Period!

You have the ability to move beyond the illusion, to move back into the greatness you came from, the greatness you are, the greatness you must inevitably return to.

That is how we see you. That is how God sees you. Reclaim your power. Your world needs you. The next time you look into your own eyes in a mirror, say to yourself, “How great thou art!”

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Here is the legendary Carl Sagan reading from his book, Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space. Carl will restore your faith in the greatness of humanity, and in the greatness of each one of us.