John C. Maxwell Quote on Greatness and How One Is Too Small A Number To Achieve It

“One is too small a number to achieve greatness. No accomplishment of real value has ever been achieved by a human being working alone.”

John C. Maxwell, Leadership Gold

Beyond the Quote (234/365)

Big accomplishments don’t just happen. They’re an accumulated result of many small happenings. This is true for most anything in life. Big accomplishments in health are a product of the accumulated effect of the daily meals and workouts. Big accomplishments in business are a product of the accumulated effect of the smaller component systems that are put into place. Big accomplishments in relationships are a product of the accumulated effect of the smaller conversations, actions, and efforts that went into them. If you want to accomplish something big, the focus should be on accumulating more and more of the small.

On Sunday, August 23rd, 2020, I set out to do a fundraiser run for a friend that tragically died in the Beirut explosion on August 4th, 2020. He was 31 when he died and I turned 31 on August 22nd, 2020. Not only was he someone I knew and shared the path of life with, but it all ended for him at the very age I was turning—and that idea hit me right in the heart. My goal was to try and get 31 people to donate $31 to support his family—a family who relied solely on his career for survival and was left with nothing after he was killed. And I set out to run either 31 miles or for 5 hours in order to raise the money—whichever came first.

How did the event play out? First, let me share with you the small happenings that led to the big result. What started as an inkling of an idea became something bigger when I shared it with a few friends. I kept hearing how people were getting emotional over the idea, I had people asking how they could participate, I had people suggest ideas for memorable outfits, I even had people reach out and just say how inspired they were. Each and every one of those comments, replies, and conversations solidified my resolve in making this idea come to light. Without the cumulative effect of each person’s support making it’s way back to me, my idea might have stayed precisely that—an idea.

With the overwhelm of support, I knew I was going to put everything I had into the run. What I didn’t know was that the heat was going to play as much of a role as it did on the big day. It was right around 90 degrees at the start of the run and slowly tapered off as the day continued. For the first half of the run, I was absolutely slammed with exhaustion. I was constantly getting cold-sweats, felt light-headed, and was definitely feeling fatigue much quicker than I thought I would.

My mentality going into the race was a classic David Goggins mentality—when you think you’re done, you’re really only 40% done. And while I kept pushing myself under the idea that I still had plenty more to give, it sure didn’t feel that way. It took the help of the surrounding community to keep me going. And wow, did they ever come through. Specifically, I’d like to thank several key individuals who helped push me through the duration of this run. Each in their own unique and thoughtful ways.

• Ghandi Jourdi—For helping me not only work out the logistics of the fundraiser, but for doing a lap with me, giving me a half race massage, and for bringing me water throughout.
• Lianna Hogan—For prepping the perfect carb heavy pre-workout meal the day before and for doing 13.1 miles with me. Congrats on your fist half-marathon!
• Alexandra Seefeldt—For not listening to me and getting the Pedialite anyway. My body was shutting down from the heat and drinking that gave me the source of energy I think I needed to finish. Also, for the heavenly sprays from that stupid spray fan bottle. They were magical and much needed at the time. And, of course, for doing 13.1 miles with me, too! Congrats on your first half-marathon!
• Henry Peterson—For running 10 miles with me. He’s only 10 years old and ran with me longer than anyone else. An up and coming warrior for sure and was a great source of motivation.
• Joseph Dopin—For starting the race strong with me at the peak of the heat and for keeping me mentally distracted for those first 3.1 miles.
• Nico Piazza—For being my main water guy and for putting heart into those laps that you ran with me. I could feel your energy and drive and it reminded me that that’s where I needed to be, too.
• Lily Piazza—For being the youngest runner to share the path with me and for keeping me distracted for 2+ laps. Legs aren’t rocks—they’re feathers and air. Don’t think about running, think about food.
• Chase Sinatra—For being my finisher coach. Those last 3 laps were the hardest and having you coach me through to the end gave me the life I needed to do it. Your energy is contagious and your spirit is strong. I could feel it with each step. And hills? I won’t ever look at them the same. We crush hills.
• Aaron Graves—For keeping me calm and cool when I hit a mental wall. I was convinced I surpassed mile 20 and when I looked at my tracker and only saw 17.6 I nearly lost it. But, you kept me breathing slowly, mentally calm, and focused on the task at hand. You helped me get to 20+ so much easier. And, of course, for getting me hooked up with the ice bath after the run. It helped my recovery incredibly.
• And to Mike Monzillo, Tony Miller, and Danny Khechen—For sharing a lap or two with me to keep me distracted, focused, and having as much fun as one can expect to have when they’re in awful agony and pain. You guys are awesome.

One is too small a number to achieve anything great. One thought; one action; one attempt; one try; one mention; one person—it isn’t enough. So much more can be done when you persevere and surround yourself with the right community of people. In the case of this initiative? The goal was to get 31 people to donate—we had 54 and counting. The hope was to raise $961 (31 people x $31)—we raised $2,599 and counting. The dream was to do something good for the world and inspire others to do the same—the feedback was nothing short of emotional.

Now, this might not be the biggest or most significant fundraiser in history, but it’s a remarkable effort that undoubtedly contributed to the greater good. In the grand scheme of things it was a “small happening,” if you will. But, as we continue to initiate and accumulate more of those “small happenings” in our lives? …We might just accomplish something big—something that reaches the rest of the world. But, the only way that’s going to happen is if we keep focusing on the small. Start here, with what you have, where you are. It’s on us to create and lead the change we wish to see in the world. Lead the way.

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Read Next: The 40 Percent Rule — An Excerpt from Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins

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