Let's face it. We all have a friend who's always about to do something big. You know who this person is. It's the person who's going to find a way to get into the Guinness Book of Records but doesn't have any real talent. It's the person who's going to climb Mount Everest one day but can't make it around the block. It's the person who's going to buy a mansion, but is still living in his, or her, mother's basement. Now, none of these things are impossible, but based on your friend's current situation, they just seem impossible for him. Yet, every once in a while, this person actually does what he says. This is what happened with runner Maurice Greene.

For the longest time, Maurice Greene said he'd be the fastest man in the world. But no one really believed him. They just thought he was another athletic pretty boy, talking about something he'd never accomplish. Yes, he was a runner but not "that kind" of runner. However, in the mid-90s, Greene started proving everyone wrong.

It started with him beating Carl Lewis at the Texas Relays. Racing officials stated it was wind-aided, but it still showed his emerging ability. Unfortunately, in 1996, fate stepped in, and Maurice Greene hurt his hamstring. This led to a disappointing show at the Olympic Trials. However, it also caused Greene to move to California and choose a new coach, John Smith. It was this new merger that would lead Maurice Greene to one of his greatest victories. In the 1997 World Track and Field Championships, he beat Olympic Champion Donovan Bailey in the 100-meter race and earned the title as The World's Fastest Man. Of course, this event shut up a lot of Maurice Greene's critics. He no longer was the guy about to do something big. He'd done it!

Maurice Greene's story serves as a lesson for all of us. The next time your friend, the one about to do big things, talks about his next venture, don't dismiss it. Understand that he's just dreaming and one day might make the dream come true.