One question that often comes up in the entrepreneurship game is what separates good creators from great ones.

“Skill, luck, timing!” That’s how the usual song and dance goes.

“You’ve just got to put the right person in the right place at the right time and greatness will fall into his hands.” Unfortunately, this theory neglects the fact that there have been world’s of clever, well positioned people who never do anything.

Why? Greatness has nothing to do with circumstance. Luck and timing will ease the path to success, but real greatness is deeply personal. Real greatness requires pain.

Pain

Photo Credit

Greatness requires pain.

Blood, sweat and tears are the bread and butter of the great.

Strife, disappointment, and adversity are what great people live and breath.

Great people understand that the road to greatness is marked by nothing more uniquely than a preponderance of pain. Ask anyone who has ever won a Nobel Prize or a Super Bowl about pain. I would bet they have more than a few words on the subject.

Fear

Photo Credit

Great people see mediocrity as a crime against life.

It’s inconceivable to them to believe anyone would not be willing to push themselves forward, to drive themselves beyond their limits.

Why?

Because to them, mediocrity is failure. To them, “giving up” is an unacceptable lose. This is the fear that pushes Best Selling authors to work for days without rest on a manuscript, the fear that gets star athletes to practice day after day even when their bodies are screaming for rest.

Acceptance

Photo Credit

Greatness accepts circumstances for what they are.

Great people recognize the difference between what they can change and what they simply cannot and choose to focus their energy only on the former.

Acceptance is what gets you through everything from rejected college applications through badly negotiated Term Sheets. Acceptance is the only thing that gives great people the ability to transform liabilities into opportunities.

Web 2.0 Roundup

Let’s not kid ourselves, luck plays some role in smoothing the path to greatness but since luck is not something you have control over it’s worthless to consider it. Instead if you want to emulate the great your only chance is to look at the one thing you do control — yourself.

The next time you wonder why it is that you aren’t Steve Jobs, Trent Reznor or John Elway ask yourself whether given the opportunity you would be willing to go through what they were willing to go through in order to achieve greatness. If you can’t say that you are, then you already have your answer.

(Image) (RSS)

If you enjoyed that why not find a job or read our guide to working in the 21st century. You can also join our Kiva team or hire me for your project.