There is a poem by William Wadsworth Longfellow called The Psalm of Life and its last stanza says this:

"Let us then be up and doing

With a heart for any fate

Still achieving, still pursuing

Learn to labor and to wait"

It is the final two lines that are the most impactful to me, and primarily so with this topic of conversation. Greatness requires two things: effort and patience. If you are not willing to put in the time and effort, then greatness will always allude you. In fact, it will avoid you. Greatness must be viewed as a living organism, and it knows when someone isn't worthy of it.

I encourage you to pursue your passion or calling with great effort and great patience. Opportunity will arrive. Keep in mind, however, that opportunity knocks; it doesn't ring the doorbell.

VIDEO GAMES AND SOCIAL MEDIA

There are plenty of people I know that love video games and social media and they spend hours each day conquering the art of pretend killing, running, and conversation. These two methods of entertainment (although there isn't anything innately wrong with them) are avenues into a false reality, which take up so much real time.

Video games are incredible, don't get me wrong. They are so visually stunning and engaging that it can become easy to think you are actually saving America from terrorists or the galaxy from annihilation. Rest assured, you are not.

With social media, though one of the greatest innovations of recent memory, has become one of the best ways to ruin relationships, as well as promote a false persona. You are not your Facebook profile. Your Facebook profile and Instagram persona has it together. That person gets it. You - the real you - struggles and quite often doesn't get it. The best way to get past those struggles is to labor through and be patient for the ultimate finish line (not talking about death this time).

There is a powerful scene in one of my favorite movies, "Rocky", where Mickey, the old man, says "I'm 76 years old." That's all he says and it means a ton. It can mean a ton if you understand the gravity of the situation. We will all reach 76 years old and we will have to look back on our life. What will you see? What will I see? Gosh, I hope it's something worth looking at.