Potential: a loaded word.
“She never reached her potential …” How many times have you heard these words, overheard them, or uttered them yourself?
It popped up on TV last night, delivered, seemingly as always, with a heavy dose of pity and maybe a dash of teaching-moment for good measure.
And it made me wonder: do we ever really reach our potential? There are myriad ways to quantify it of course, many ways to tick the boxes or label them in the first place. How many degrees, how many cars in the driveway, how many stamps in our passports?
Whatever our yardstick, what if we reach it? Do we then pack up this game of life and go home? Do we grow jaded?
I might just plan to never to reach my potential. Instead, I'll remain a work in progress.
I’ll keep several goals in the works, even if most are just in the back of my mind. I plan to keep adding and stretching. I plan to keep imagining and tapping new sources of growth.
I’m sure you’ve heard that saying: do something each day that scares you. I’ll try to sprinkle my days with both small stretches and from time to time, others worthy of a yoga master class (metaphorically speaking).
Hear Hear!
Hey KK, thanks for stopping by!I hope all is well with you.
A
Thank you for the post, Alicia! In my mind, we can achieve our highest potential any time we want to. All we have to do is think and act in ways that are true to ourselves. Once we do this, we automatically connect to the magnificence inside of us.
Couldn’t agree more! So much in life comes down to being true to ourselves.
Thanks, Cloris,
A
Hi Alicia, great post to make me think. It’s so easy to keep within our comfort zone, meet out potential and not exceed it. Sometimes life is too busy or tiring to try! But when we can stretch our potential or at least try to, it can be exciting and working towards our new goals can give us a sense of satisfaction. You’ve reminded me to try something new or to stretch myself (mind or body) each and every day. Thanks! Holly x
Hey Holly, you always make me think, and thanks for your ongoing support of this blog. I know my posts have been a little uneven of late, in terms of timing.
I plan to remedy that from June, when a mid-year deadline is met.
Alicia x
I love this post as it reminds me that my journey, and not the outcome of my journey, is what really matters.
Thanks, Grace! I really appreciate it.
A
I like this mindset – it’s closely related to one of my favorite quotes (“It’s never too late to be what you might have been”), but worded a little more positively 🙂
Thanks for this, Pauline! I like the quote you mention. So often we buy into society’s definition of being too old for this or that.
I don’t mean it as a criticism – I note it a little wistfully, with a sigh. Here’s to bucking the trend and walking our own path!
Always lovely to see you here.
Alicia