You've climbed the highest mountain and swam in the roughest sea
And with pride you wore the colours of your Nationality
And you are a National hero street signs even have your name
But in ways you seem quite ordinary despite your World wide fame.

And though of your great successes singer songwriters now sing
To others you feel superior and that does not seem a good thing
For true greatness is far different than achieving something great
And you are not truly a great person though many your name celebrate

You may be a record breaker and a World renowned athlete
But there is a vast difference between pride and self conceit
And you are too conceited the praise to your head has gone
Still on the day you die without you life on Earth it will go on.

You may be a high achiever but that does not speak all of you
For to the higher principles you never could be true
Your ego has outgrown you and success gone to your head
And that there's far more to true greatness than great achievements truer words have not been said.

Francis Duggan

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/true-greatness/