by Lily Merlot

Created on: April 30, 2007   Last Updated: November 01, 2009

I am sure that once in every person's life someone has relayed a sense of faith to that person that made them, for even a short moment, think they could be somebody great in life. I am also sure that someone, somewhere, will argue this point with me, because for circumstantial reasons that only that one person can fully understand, they have felt that they will always be a failure. However, I bet if they really wanted to try they could find that one blink of a movement where a glimpse of invincibility existed. On the other hand, there are some of us that have grown up sitting on mom's and dad's pedestal being handed a silver platter of enormous portions of life plans and numerous refills of encouragement, so that we are able to live up to the great man/woman they know we are to be.

But the questions is, how do I know if I'm born for greatness?

No matter what person you represent above or where you fall in the enormous continuum between the two, knowing if you are born for greatness is a question with many answers.

If you asked our founding fathers and leaders of this "equal opportunity" land, I am sure that they would say. Of course! Here, in America you can do whatever you like! However, if one takes at look at the many minority disadvantages in our school, this answer is shot down.

If you asked your teachers, or bosses, I am sure that they would have some answer that involves numbers, tests, or analysis of your previous work. But we all know that these superficial assessments of ourselves do not represent everything that is ingrained in us that really make us who we are.

So lets go back to your parents. One might say, that if a child has been provided encouragement and driven to succeed by their parents (in their successful, unbroken marriage) than they have the tools to be great. But what about the numerous students who commit suicide because they can not reach the perfection they feel they must. They are so driven by the idea that they need to reach their parent's expectations, they drive themselves to depression.

Then there are those that criticize parents who do not force their child to fulfill extraordinary goals. They say that these parents and their children are okay with mediocrity. Well first of all, whats wrong with meritocracy? Second, many of these children find their niche on their own and excel in what interests them, not what they were forced to.

So basically, if you want to be great, it does not matter if anyone else thinks so. Our world loves

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