Column: Strive for goodness locally, and greatness will follow
American culture has been focused on being great for as far back as I can remember.
Striving for greatness is a good thing. I certainly believe in doing and giving my best in all of my daily tasks or endeavors.
However, Americans put such a high value on extrinsic greatness that we oftentimes overlook the importance of intrinsic goodness and its role in cultivating excellence.
We put out great products and consistently exhibit greatness in representation of ourselves and our enterprises. That's wonderful.
Greatness, though, should not be the benchmark for quality of life, or the way we interact with one another.
This past Wednesday, I attended a meeting of "Ideas on Tap," a community round table meant to challenge complacency and restore the lost art of human conversation through topical discussion.
My friend started the event, and moderates these monthly gatherings. On Wednesday, he introduced the topic of how the community can move Carson City forward from good to great.
I attended as an observer, curious about the format and dynamics of the discussion group.
Frankly, talk was almost exclusively about Carson City's extrinsic value: What the community offers as products, and their presentation.
While there were many valid points made throughout the evening, I came away questioning why we are so stuck on extrinsics. Those certainly have their place, and they are not unimportant. We do need to talk about Carson City's infrastructure and how we can continue improving upon it.
But what about the intrinsics? Not one person brought up the fact that the goodness of people is what makes the real difference in a community. Entertainment and recreational venues, job and investment opportunities, demographic appeal, a climate of socio-economic vibrancy are all products of the people who make greatness happen every day.
Here in Carson City, I've met plenty of people who demonstrate greatness through the intrinsic goodness of their hearts. Our community here in the Nevada state capital is rich in community support, philanthropy and genuine caring.
I've been privileged to come to know a number of folks who endeavor to improve upon Carson City's quality of life and that of the people who live here. It all starts with how they treat others.
These are good people, whose intentions are sincere and whose efforts are genuine.
From business owners who regularly put on fundraising events to help the less fortunate; to non-profit heads or individual residents spearheading efforts to fulfill a need; and the community's response to those needs, a network of local support is formed and maintained by those who truly care about where they live and the people they share this space with.
And there are many here in Carson City like that.
This goodness should be at the heart of a community's quality; not what it has to offer for the taking, but what it has to give.
Yes, Carson City has room for improvement. Every community does. But it begins and ends with the goodness of its people. Goodness, not greatness, is what we should be striving for each and every day.
Start small, within your own household or workplace. Goodness will spread outward into neighborhoods and entire communities.
Extrinsic greatness is a product of intrinsic goodness.
Just as the engine behind making America great again is really the goodness of its people, to move Carson City from good to great is not scientific, because we already have a lot of goodness in place.
We just need to acknowledge goodness more, and allow it to flower naturally. Let's first focus on the goodness of the people who make up our community here in the Nevada state capital. When we do, its greatness will follow like blooms after a nourishing Spring rain.
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