My Beloved and I watched the new Oz movie a few days ago. I just flashed back to a scene in the movie where a man with many flaws who has wanted his whole life to be great and failed over and over again finally does something that is indeed great.
The woman he is with says something to him that is profound. It went something like this:
“Yes, you were great, but you were also something much better than that. You were good.”
The longer I live, the more I have come to understand the truth and wisdom in those words.
One can be great without being good, but there is greatness in goodness.
Love,
Russ
Russ Towne's A Grateful Man 
Very profound Russ!
Thank you, Shian!
Russ
I re-read it a couple of times and I agree totally…Diane
I appreciate your comments, Diane!
Russ
yes, good is always a choice
It is good to hear from you, my friend.
Russ
And you my friend have achieved that greatness in goodness.
I’m touched and deeply honored by your compliment, Mimi. It is humbling in a wonderful way, especially since it is coming from someone who I believe has achieved that greatness in goodness.
Russ
Now you’ve moved it from my want to see to my must see list…
:-D!
Russ
Reblogged this on Teacher as Transformer and commented:
The last line before Russ signed off says it all. We can be great, but not good. We can find our greatness in our goodness. Be good today for goodness sake.
Thank you for your kind comment, my friend.
Russ
Really Profound truth.
It is Good to know this for being Great in Goodness.
Thank you, lvsrao. As it is clear that this post touched you, it tells me that you are a kind and compassionate man. Welcome!
Russ
Too busy trying to be good to try and be great.
Thank you for a post that very much comforted my soul. Also, thanks to Ivonprefontaine, for helping me find this blog!
I’m glad that it resonated with you, casandralee. I’ve found that when I simply do the kindest thing when faced with a decision I tend to love the overall results. I believe your inner spirit contains much goodness and greatness. Share yours with the world, my friend.
Russ
Words that remind me to be good are always helpful. 🙂
Russ, if you don’t mind can I ask you for some suggestions on non-fiction short story books to read?
On a side note, Congratulations to you and your dear wife on 33 years of marriage. That’s AWESOME!
Thank you, Elizabeth! I’m glad the post was helpful. Welcome! May you always feel at home here. As for some suggestions of non-fiction short story books to read, I’m afraid that I won’t be much help as I typically read fiction, and the non-fiction I read is most often related to my profession, investment management. You might try “Amazing Grace”. It’s a powerful story about the abolition of slavery in England and about how the song “Amazing Grace” came to be. Some of my favorite fiction books includ “Jonathan Livingston Seagull”, “To Kill a Mockingbird, “Ivanhoe”, “Enders’ Game, and “The Virginian”.
Come to think of it, all of the stories I have written in this blog are true. Most have elements of humor and some share glimpses of my spirit. Good topics to start with include:
“True Stories I ‘ve Written”, “Family Fun”, & “Parenting”. You’ll see a lot of overlap.
You might also be interested in hearing some of the Songs I’ve Written or Co-Written which can be found in the category with that name.
Russ
Absolutely..it is a difficult combination and possibly hard to achieve but both the attributes complement eah other and render wholeness and uniqueness to a human being who is revered and remembered in the times to come.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment, Esssellle. Welcome, new friend.
Russ
Thanks Russ..it would be beautiful to connect through such words and sayings that come straight from our heart and mind.
What a beautiful thing to say. Thank you you. I’m touched by your kind comment. When I speak from my heart I feel connected and believe that others do too. When I speak from a mind-focused place the results tend to be more mixed and less desirable from my perspective.
Russ
Yes, and yes ,and yes! Goodness must be next to Godliness!
Thank you for your enthusuastic reply, Valerie!
Russ
Pingback: 4:26 am. And Inspired. – Lead.Learn.Live.
Thank you, David.
Russ
To my mind you are goodness personified, Russ! 🙂
Thank you for your kind and wonderful compliment, Lori! I’m grateful that you are in my life and take the time to brighten my day.
Russ