“Figure it out for yourself, my lad,


You’ve all that the greatest of men have had,


Two arms, two hands, two legs, two eyes


And a brain to use if you would be wise.


With this equipment they all began,


So start for the top and say, ‘I can.’

– Edgar A. Guest

By Domenick Epps

It’s already in you. Greatness is living inside you right now, waiting to be developed. Though it may not easily be picked up by our sensory mechanisms, greatness is not a figment of your imagination, greatness is a seed waiting to be planted, watered and developed.

The famous poem “Equipment,” by Edgar A. Guest, was a favorite poem of Dr. George Washington Carver. The poem informs us that God has given us the equipment we need to live and be successful. The apple tree is in the seed, the chicken is in the egg, and the king is in the kid.

This became real to me one morning as I left the gym after a workout. I had told my trainer where I want to be by the summer in regards to what I wanted to lift. Telling him that resulted in him giving me extra reps. Those reps didn’t feel good, but in order to see the results I desired, I had to do them. All the muscle I could ever desire is in me just waiting to be developed. It is not visible, but it’s there.

Mark 4:30-32 speaks of the mustard seed, which, once planted, grows to become the greatest of all garden herbs. The mustard seed is tiny, but its potential is so much greater than what the eye can see. But in order for its full purpose to be revealed, it must be planted.

I’ve come to understand that we often look at public expressions of greatness without clearly understanding the private sacrifices that were necessary. It amazes me, for example, how many students want to play a professional sport but will not endure a professional workout.

Yes, greatness is in you, but what are you doing to develop the seed? While most are making public excuses, what are you doing to set yourself apart? There is a local high school basketball player who works out at the gym in the morning, showers and then goes to school. That young man is doing what great people do — going the extra mile.

How about you?

Domenick Epps is a Suffolk resident, real estate agent and youth pastor. Email him at DomenickEpps.Realtor@gmail.com.