Everyone has potential. At any given moment each of us is realizing some percentage of that potential, and it’s never 100%. Whether it’s 16% or 92% we can always do better. Perfectionists are obsessed with this idea, but I don’t recommend that.
I recommend considering how much of your own potential you are currently realizing. Not judging yourself about it, but simply paying attention. It’s an interesting statement about how you’re currently doing and who you currently are.
If it feels a little low these days, it’s reasonable to consider bumping it up a bit. You might ask yourself: Why am I not taking more responsibility for utilizing my potential?
Frequently the answer comes down to either Ease or Fear.
Let’s face it, cruising is easy. If I’m enjoying a leisurely pace and still doing OK, there may not be much motivation to change. It’s about quality of life.
Fear, of course, is not so easy. We are each of us endowed with huge potential. But living up to that potential can be very intimidating. This thought may ease the burden:
I give a gift to the world when I realize my potential and share it. Yet the rewards I receive far exceed any I give. This isn’t about quality of life, it’s about quality of life-experience!
Marianne says it best:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be?”
“Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do… And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
― Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of “A Course in Miracles”