King Arthur Movie Tristan

title: Something Beyond Greatness

authors: Judy Rodgers & Gayatri Naraine

pages: 122

published: 2009


genre: non fiction/self help

rated: 4 out of 5

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.

In Something Beyond Greatness authors Judy Rodgers & Gayatri Naraine write about great people who have changed the world for the better. Their inspiration for this book was an Indian spiritual leader named Dadi Janki. They began searching for people who dedicated thier lives to serving others.

They simply feel that they were in the right place at the right time: the moment appeared, they had the opportunity to be of service to another, and they took it. In thier heart of hearts they believe that they only did what anyone would have done.

The authors then go on to speak with Humberto Maturana, who is a professor of Biology in the University of Chile in Santiago and an author, as well as Dadi Janki.


I found this book to be interesting and insightful. It was a quick read and I finished it in one sitting. Several passages stood out. This is one of my favorites:

Greatness is present when we mutually care for one another, when we listen to one another in mutual respect, and when we are open to mutual understanding. Greatness is naturally present, because love is the foundation of human coexistence.

This amazing quote comes from Dadi Janki:

Silence is the language of the soul. In deep silence I turn my attention from me, the soul, to God, the being of light who is my eternal parent, and I become lost in remembrance. In this space of deep, silent remembrance, I forge a relationship, and I experience God's love.

About the authors:


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. In that capacity, 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.




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