The Mona Lisa isn’t just a painting of a woman smiling. A pair of Levi’s isnt just a pair of pants. Shakespeare didn’t just write some plays. Amazing Grace and Ave Maria are just some spiritual songs. The Gettysburg address wasn’t just a speech.
None of these are particularly fancy. There are plenty of comparables in their respective domains, too. And yet somehow these things are different. Not cool, not hip, not sexy, but still something special.
They tapped into something deeper than trend, or the zeitgeist. They are simpler. They have stories about them that transcend the trivial concerns of a single generation. They exhibit outstanding craftsmanship.
They are timeless.
A marriage, a family, a company, a team - even a blog. These could all be timeless too. But to be timeless, we must give up trying to be a lot of other things.
If you enjoyed this post, you'll probably like my new book - Character By Choice: Letters on Goodness, Courage, and Becoming Better on Purpose. For more details, visit https://www.neiltambe.com/CharacterByChoice.