Potential: latent qualities or abilities that may be developed and lead to future success or usefulness
What stops us from developing our potential and becoming the best we can be?
- Fear – stemming from a lack of confidence, a poor self-image, a tendency to always compare ourselves with others. When we do that we always come out the poorer. Rarely do we ever feel we are better than others we choose to compare ourselves with.
- Not taking responsibility for ourselves. So often we make decisions by default, ie we fail to make a thought-through decision and ‘go with the flow’. It takes time and effort to decide what we really think. If our opinion is different to the opinion of others we must be bold and speak out and follow our conclusions.
- Failing to explore what do we want? This is such a difficult question for so many of us. Perhaps as we grew up choices were taken away from us. However, as adults we must put energy into thinking through what we want out of life. Be realistic and honest. Don’t do this alone. Talk it through with another. If we don’t pursue answers how can we take the necessary steps towards our goals?
- Getting distracted. Work hard. Stay committed, focused and determined. It is your journey and it will be different to everyone else’s.
- All work and no play. Achieve a good work/life balance. Don’t sacrifice relationships – friendship, marriage, our children. Nobody on their deathbed ever said ‘I wish I had spent more time at work’. However painful at times, good relationships make life beautiful, joyous, fun and worthwhile.
- Paralysed because we don’t allow ourselves to make mistakes. A friend arrived at my home distressed because she realised she had accepted a job she now hated. We talked, we prayed. An amazing thing happened. When I next saw her the company had decided it needed to make cuts and offered employees redundancies. She left grateful for a way out with honour. She learnt a great deal through the experience and found a job she loved.
- Short term thinking. Play the long game rather than going for the instant. We may need to study, to be an unpaid intern, work abroad, work with difficult people. Patience with promise is a wonderful thing to learn.
- Ignoring the spiritual dimension – perhaps God has invested more in us than we think. Explore the possibility of becoming our best by asking Him to help.