By D. Paul Reilly, For The Guardian

I guess, you're already speculating about what I think the greatest thing you can be is. Some will perhaps think it's that the greatest thing a person can be is a medical doctor, because they assist people in getting rid of their illnesses, thus returning to a state of total health.

Perhaps the more religious people, may feel that being a minister of religion is the greatest thing you can be, thus assisting people from all walks of life to know and understand the importance of focusing on God, and our connection to our spiritual father.

The politically minded will perhaps think that the greatest thing you can be is to be a member of parliament, or better still, to ultimately become prime minister or president of one's country. A whole lot of people, I'm quite sure, will most definitely feel that the greatest thing you can be is a teacher, a person who assists the young people of the world in acquiring the necessary knowledge required in order to succeed in life.

We could go on and on coming up with various occupations, which different people with varying opinions feel are the greatest thing you can be, but my friend, haven't we all overlooked the real answer to the puzzle, so to speak? Yes, I believe we have. In the long run, the greatest thing you can be is simply yourself!

In Joel Osteen's book "Your Best Life Now" in chapter 11 titled "Be Happy With Who You Are" he writes: "Are you being the person God made you to be? Or are you just going around pretending, trying to be what everybody else wants you to be, living up to their expectations and following their dreams for your life?"

I sincerely hope and pray, that those words from Joel Osteen's book have literally woken you up, and that you now realize that far too many people throughout this world of ours, are in fact trying to be, what others want them to be, and not unfortunately what they themselves want to be ... what a tragedy!

My friend, if you wish to be successful and truly happy, you simply must stop trying to copy others, thus blindly following the dictates of those who persistently tell you what you should be. Instead, you need to be exactly what God created you to be, which is yourself.

You are a unique creation of God, and no one — but no one can duplicate you and the special contribution which you — and you alone were put on this earth by God to make to the peoples of the universe. So, stop this very minute trying to be someone else, and just be yourself!

Think about it.

* Email: dpr@humanri.com and Listen to "Time To Think" the radio program on Star 106.5 FM at 8:55 a.m. & 6:15 p.m. Monday through Friday.