Something Beyond Greatness: Conversations with a Man of Science & a Woman of God

Greatness Has Many Faces

In their worldwide search for extraordinary figures who fit the criteria for 'something beyond greatness,' authors Judy Rogers and Gayatri Naraine humbly discovered that the quality of greatness is not the exclusive province of those recognized publicly for their deeds. While all of us acknowledge that this noble characteristic is shared by people such as Gandhi, Mother Teresa, and Martin Luther King Jr., what Rogers and Naraine found is that this life-affirming quality very often rests in the ordinary.

We are all capable of seeing with love and acting from the heart—two essential qualities of those who accomplish the selfless deeds that transform the world for the better. It is the choice people make when faced with a call to action, no matter how seemingly small or grand, that sets them apart and elevates their esteem in others' eyes, if not in their own.

Something Beyond Greatness is a thought-provoking discussion of the humble, loving service to others that is at the heart of greatness. For insight into the two sides of the coin, Rogers and Naraine turned to a woman of God and a man of science--Dadi Janki and Humberto Maturana, both world-renowned in their respective practices. Through their discussions with Janki, Maturana, and many others, you'll come to realize, as have the authors, that the two sides of the coin make one whole . . . and that performing a miraculous act of greatness or living a life of greatness is an inspired and heartfelt choice that one makes in a moment of chaos, in the

Judy Rodgers is a writer and communication consultant who has worked extensively with thought leaders. She has held a range of executive positions in large media companies such as CBS Video, CBS-Fox Video, and New World Entertainment. She has worked with opinion leaders such as Tom Peters, Peter Senge and David Cooperrider. She is also founding director of Images and Voices of Hope, an international dialogue initiative with media, journalism and the arts that seeks to strengthen the role of media as a constructive force in society.

Gayatri Naraine has been the Brahma Kumaris' (BK's) representative to the United Nations since 1980. As the BK's liaison to the UN, her role was to connect what the UN was doing on a global scale in the social and humanitarian fields of development with what the BK's were doing in those same areas using their expertise in spiritual growth of people on a personal scale. Gayatri was pivotal in the development of the Living Values Education program and worked closely with UNICEF and UNESCO in its implementation. She has also contributed to ILO's (International Labor Organization) Agenda on Decent Work in their consultation with non-governmental organizations.