Christmas 2008

Affirmation: I am alive because I make the difference.

Today, my friend, we consider your role in the world this Christmas. The bringing of the Christ Light, the Celebration (Mass) of the Anointed One is celebrated every year across the western world. Some teach that the birth of Jesus was a singular event in human history. I am asking, though, about the possibility that your birth was filled with every bit of the possibility that was manifested in Jesus. What if you were an anointed child of the Most High?

We all agree that some people change the world with their vision and passion and commitment and values. Yet, do we wonder if it wasn't Mother Theresa it would have been someone else? Do we entertain the very question of our own existence as a saint, a sage, a player in the world stage that is destined for greatness and brilliant light and impact?

The story of Jesus and the results he manifested in his life is for most in our culture a tale about someone else and not about our own journey. I challenge you today to take the projection of Jesus and shine the light on yourself. Accepting our greatness is not easy, especially at this stage of our life and in the face of our failures and set backs. But I am not asking you to be delusional here; I am asking that the veil of delusion be lifted during this Christmas Season.
Each of us is born to greatness. I was reading the other day that in 1974 Popular Mechanics had on its cover a story today had an amazing impact on the world. MITS launched the Altair 8800 personal-computer kit in December 1974, and that changed the lives of four key people and they changed the trajectory of the world forever in a way that is no different from the way Jesus changed the world or the way you and I can change the world.
Upon reading the story, two young engineers, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, sold off Jobs’ VW van and Wozniak’s scientific calculator in order to get the funds to start building their own computers. They build an company that became Apple Computer. They went on to develop Pixar Studios, the I Pod, the I Phone and neither is past his prime.

In a similar fashion, Paul Allen showed the magazine to his friend Bill Gates, who promptly dropped out of Harvard College to start writing software for computers. Their company became Microsoft. The combination of personal computers and integrated software applications put unprecedented power into the hands of the public and changed the world forever. Inventions like the Internet, U Tube, Twitter and many others are shaping and reshaping the Universe in our lifetime.

Now, in the face of knowing this and measuring our own results which are often somewhat less spectacular, sometimes we psychologically transfer our greatness onto others. I fantasize all the time about how I could have been this or that...sometimes a great leader, other times a great General, and other times a great sports star. Maybe others do this as well; I would be surprised if I was the only one. So, I think this is normal and perhaps healthy in small doses since it frees our mind to think outside the box. However, I do also think that one consequence of this type of transference is that it detracts from the brilliant decisions and choices made by those who are stepping up to greatness over and over again. You see, there are ordinary people making brilliant and great decisions all the time, and they are achieving near miraculous results.

I think we are all born with this capacity. One thing we do to diminish our greatness is to blame our failures on luck or circumstances in the hand of others. I cannot tell you how many bankruptcy cases I filed of engineers that thought they were the truly brilliant but someone else got lucky and they missed out by millimeters on their big chance, or were a week late with whatever and the whole project failed. The only difference between greatness and failure is the willingness to blame our failures on others. Microsoft has made billion dollar mistakes. Steve Jobs got fired from Apple at one time. No one can achieve greatness without making mistakes and those making big mistakes are on the cusp of greatness if they are willing to be accountable for their failures rather than blame others.

Each and every person who exists has the possibility of making great contributions. Mother Theresa is a Saint; she started out as a young nun with a simple vision. She followed it with passion and relentlessly did not give up with she met with small set backs.

If we have a gift to give and are willing to give it, then that greatness will call forth the opportunity to manifest the impact we were created to deliver. Lincoln was a dismal failure for years before becoming one of those who made an impact so large it can hardly be comprehended. Even in the face of discouraging set backs he never gave up.

Lincoln proved in both his own life and in his conduct of the Civil War that the resources will show up on time and abundantly to guarantee success to those of us that are willing to let our light shine. In fighting the Civil War, Lincoln promoted dozens of Generals trying to find one called to fight and win. Each General he pinned his hopes on had major short comings and failed. The war continued, men died, resources were lost, and hope across the North was fading. Lincoln kept searching. Finally, he settled on US Grant. Grant won major battles at Shiloh, Vicksburg, Lookout Mtn. and finally defeated General Lee and the Confederate Army at Richmond.


Do not worry about how small your resources are at the start. Do not focus on the competition or the difficulties you can imagine. Instead focus on your calling, the Divine Idea that you are called to manifest with your passion and life energy. In the mid 1980’s there were dozens of Personal Computer manufacturers in Silicon Valley, including giants IBM, Hewitt Packard, Apple, Compaq and others. In the meantime, a student at the University of Texas in Austin came up with an idea and founded a company known as PC's Limited with capital of only $1000. In 1984, operating from his off-campus dorm-room, this kid built custom computers from stock components. This college student had the idea to sell personal computer-systems directly to customers and to configure them to the customer’s specifications. In contrast, the other established PC manufacturers delivered large numbers of standardized computers to retailers, who then sold the standardized machines to the ultimate customers. He then dropped out of school in order to focus full-time on his fledgling company. A few years later he changed the company name to Dell Computers. His name was Michael Dell, now one of the most successful and respected businessmen in the world.

Just like every one of us, like Michael Dell or Bill Gates or Mother Theresa or Jesus, you are born to personal greatness. Each of us are the anointed one... there are things that you and you alone can accomplish and to think otherwise is to make yourself and others small. Christmas is the time to recall that you are the Anointed One.