This is a quote from the book and movie titled “Lawrence of Arabia.” If you haven’t seen that movie, I suggest you watch it and pay close attention to a variety of characters whose lives sing. For the most part, the story is true. It seems that while the vast majority of people stumble through their lives and simply react to what happens to them, very often a world shaper enters the picture.

The thing about TE Lawrence is that he recognized at an early age his ability to bring about monumental change. In fact, read about it before you see the movie. See how one person of privilege, who seemed mediocre at best, identified the world he would change, studied it, and prepared to go in before an opportunity came along that would allow him to plan how to do it. This is such off-limits thinking for the rest of us. The rest of us, being the ones they are not the stumbling blocks, we are creators of something, but probably something petty, something that enriches only us. However, it is rare to find a person as capable as Lawrence, who can achieve greatness on his own, however, he thinks of helping a people to be great, and not the people with whom he is affiliated. In fact, British Army generals and British politicians were convinced that he had done extraordinary things for Britain when he did them, but that was not true. He did extraordinary things to allow the Arabs to regain the independence they once had.

Today there is a lot of emphasis on technology, but what is technology without a human being wielding it? What was Lawrence’s small beginning? He rode alone across the desert on a camel to meet with a local tribal leader. If he couldn’t impress the Arab, they would kill him. He hired an Arab guide and immediately listened to the guide and gave him advice as a father might give a son. The two played a game during their trip, each trying to be the most moral. When Lawrence realized that his Arab guide highly appreciated his personal weapons, he gave her his pistol, his only personal protection. He already reasoned that he wasn’t going to accomplish anything worthwhile through personal combat, so he didn’t need the gun. Instead, he would do great things through personal example.

From a consequenceless start, Lawrence created a consequence when he confronted the Arab leader right after the leader killed the guide because he drank water from the leader’s tribal well. At the risk of his own life, at the risk of whatever greatness he might have done, Lawrence chided the leader for placing so much value on his tribal trappings and so little value on the life of an Arab brother. That was the small, but risky beginning of something big.

If you’re going to do something great with your life, you have to be totally involved. No one can find a flaw if you are honest and transparent. Other people follow those who behave that way. They follow the type of people who give meaning to everyone’s life. The key to achieving something great is being a true leader and planning and preparing to lead. This is how you and all those who follow you will do something bigger than yourself.