Recently, I was thinking about what it means to be truly great. Not mediocre, but great in a way that other people recognize what you are doing simply by the contributions you are making through your actions, not just your words. Over time there have been many people that have been nothing more than who they are. The contributions they made were simply the course of business for them, not something that they strived to make grand or well known.

Then I thought about the definition of greatness and realized that there is no one way to define it. What may be great to you or me, may not be great in someone else’s eyes. Likewise, what they may consider to be great may not resonate with us. However, most people who have become what people perceive to be great over time all seem to have one quality. The very nature of what they accomplished was enough to make a mass of people stand up and recognize that their contribution was truly something worth noting.

I believe that the path to greatness starts with the seed of wanting to make a difference in the world. To do something that leaves the world a little better off than you found it. It is that innate desire to contribute in your own way, no matter how large or small, that ultimately when combined with other’s seeds produces something truly magical. Nowhere is that more evident than in the Bring Smiles to Seniors program.

Three of our volunteers are a shining example. From day one Renee took the seed of our home delivery program and turned it into something truly special. She has touched countless lives one person at a time and continues to build on that part of the program by adding others to her garden. Diane started with one community in Michigan and now provides cards to 33 communities across the state. She has transformed Michigan into an arm of Bring Smiles to Seniors that is unmatched. Liane took the initiative to grow her special mailings into supporting Meals on Wheels programs across the country. We now support 13 states as a result of her efforts. She is touching countless lives by making their meal delivery just a little more special. These three exemplify my definition of great.

Finally, our card angel card makers and decorators. Every time they put hand to paper, pick up a pair of scissors or a tube of glue, they are on the path to touching a life on the other end of that card. Someone they don’t even know will be reminded that they are remembered, cared for and loved. A person who needed that extra something that day to keep them going will get their wish because of those who just wanted to make a difference. That is the definition of great.

We all have the power within us to achieve greatness in our own way. We may think that we don’t have the skills or talent to do what others do, but we all possess something that allows us make or own unique contribution . When those contributions combine, it is then that true greatness is realized.

Mornings with Ron is available as a podcast at anchor.fm/morningswithron or on iHeartRadio, Apple or Google Podcasts, Spotify or most podcast sites.