Growing Into Your Potential
The other day I was on a conference call with some colleagues. We were discussing the details for a retreat coming up in spring.
During the call there was something on my mind that’s been plaguing me for a while. As I’ve been reflecting on this past year there has been a question resurfacing.
Have I been living up to my full potential?
As the call came to an end, I asked the group if I could ask them a question.
I began by saying that while this year has been productive for me there has been something on my heart. I’ve taken steps to put me on the pathway to my dreams but it feels as if I’m not always giving my all.
I asked the group if they felt the same way.
I asked them if they felt like they’ve been living up to their full potential?
At first, silence filled the phone line. It seemed as if people didn’t want to answer the question.
But before long, heartfelt responses poured forth.
One young lady said she feels she has increased responsibility for her life. Being willing to give her all to a variety of things which in turn left her depleted and spread thin.
A young man answered the question by saying it has been something on his mind for a few years now.
When he asks himself how much potential he’s tapped into he said around 65%.
65%…
It’s funny he said this because when I ask myself the percentage of effort and potential I am tapping into I say 70% max. That would be a C- in school.
The final young lady on the line said she often asks herself how she can become a better version of herself.
She said she wants to be a success. But she doesn’t want success in one area to bring negativity to another. She has been asking herself how she can balance these things and grow.
When you ask yourself that question, what answer do you get?
Have you been living up to your full potential?
What Causes Us To Live Less Than Our Potential
Here is a list of things that come to mind when I think about what causes us to live less than our potential:
- Most people do not push themselves to grow. Not pushing yourself leads to comfort zones. Comfort zones are known for limiting our potential.
- Unwillingness to pursue their dreams. By not pursuing your dreams, we fall into areas that do not demand the fullness of our gifts. This is what some call average.
- Surrounded by negative, unproductive, and stuck people. You become like the 5 people you are around most. If you are around people who don’t maximize their potential, you’ll become just like them.
- Focusing on the failures of the past. By focusing on failures we deflate our tires as we roll towards greater levels of achievement.
- Not controlling the mind. Some allow their mind to become an enemy that tells them they cannot reach success. Our mind is our greatest asset in the attainment of our highest and best.
When it comes down to it, you are the only person that can hold you back from your potential.
Do not allow the outside world to imprison you or let other’s opinions bound you.
The good thing is these things listed above can be reversed. We all have the ability to grow into our greatest potential.
All humans have a genius level within them but not all humans bring it out into the world. Will you?
3 Keys To Growing Into Your Potential
#1 – Change Your Inner Image – See yourself as someone who is capable of achieving your dreams. The way you see yourself dictates how you show up in the world. How you see yourself dictates how others respond to you.
If the world could see your inner image, what would they see? A being filled with greatness or a broken individual?
#2 – Think Differently – In order to grow into your potential you must think thoughts that are in alignment with your potential. If your thoughts are keeping you down, keeping you depressed or stuck in a position you don’t enjoy, start thinking differently.
Thinking on a higher level over time will shift what you believe is possible for your life. One new thought repeated, again and again, can be the catalyst to push you down a new path in life.
#3 – New Actions – What are 3 actions you could commit to today that would help you grow into your potential?
Action is where the rubber meets the road.
You can think and think about what you want to do but without action, nothing will change. Action can be fearful, cause us to doubt ourselves but anyone who has accomplished anything great did so because of the actions they were dedicated to.
What new actions can you embrace this week?
Your Potential
We could live 100 lifetimes and could still not exhaust the limitless potential we have for our lives.
Be willing to do things today that will take you where you’d like to be tomorrow.
Grow into your potential, people await your gifts and greatness.
Peace
Happiness
Compassion
Respect
Jeffon Seely