I had no business even getting to WWE, but I've been blessed

Big E once declared with humility and awe: “I had no business even getting to WWE, but I’ve been blessed along the way to get to this point, and I’m so thankful.” These words resound like the song of a warrior who never thought he would stand among giants, yet by destiny and perseverance found himself counted among them. It is not pride that colors his speech, but wonder—a recognition that his journey was not built by entitlement, but by grace, struggle, and faith.

The ancients understood such confessions well. Heroes often began their journeys not as chosen kings, but as outcasts, shepherds, or common men. David had no business facing Goliath, yet he stood upon the battlefield and felled the giant. Rome’s first rulers were not nobles, but brothers abandoned in the wilderness, raised by a she-wolf until they built a city. Big E’s acknowledgment that he had “no business” reaching greatness is not weakness—it is the honesty of the hero who knows he rose not by certainty of birthright, but by courage, providence, and blessing.

The heart of this quote lies in the word blessed. Big E does not attribute his rise solely to his own strength, though he worked and sacrificed; he sees the hand of fortune, of providence, of opportunities given at the right time. This humility is the mark of a wise soul, for it guards against arrogance. He recognizes that his success rests on more than muscles or willpower—it rests on mentors, on supporters, on the unseen weave of destiny. To be thankful is to stand in awe of that mystery.

Consider the story of Abraham Lincoln. Born in a log cabin, with little education and fewer resources, he had “no business” becoming President of the United States. Yet through hardship, perseverance, and divine timing, he rose to lead his nation through its darkest hour. Lincoln, like Big E, often spoke not with arrogance, but with gratitude, confessing that he was carried by providence. In their voices we hear the same truth: greatness is not always deserved by beginnings, but often bestowed through the union of effort and blessing.

The deeper meaning of Big E’s words is also one of hope for all who doubt their worth. For how many souls say to themselves, “I have no business being here, no business reaching higher”? Yet his story proves that beginnings do not determine endings. What matters is faith, perseverance, and the humility to recognize that the journey is guided by more than one’s own hand. To be thankful is to transform disbelief into strength, and to honor both the struggle and the blessing.

The lesson, then, is clear. Do not be discouraged if you feel unworthy of the heights you dream of. Many who stand in glory once felt the same. Instead, labor diligently, seize every chance, and remain humble. When success comes, do not forget to call yourself thankful, for gratitude deepens achievement and gives it meaning beyond pride.

Practical counsel may be taken. Acknowledge the blessings in your life—mentors, opportunities, even hardships that shaped you. Do not measure yourself only by where you began, but by how faithfully you walk your path. And when fortune places you in a place higher than you imagined, embrace it with humility and awe, remembering that to be thankful is to honor both yourself and the unseen forces that carried you there.

Thus, Big E’s words endure as both confession and inspiration: “I had no business… but I’ve been blessed, and I’m so thankful.” Let this truth be passed down as a teaching: greatness does not always begin with worthiness, but it always endures through gratitude. For the truly great are not those who forget their humble beginnings, but those who carry them as a torch, lighting the way for others who doubt their own worth.