Understanding & Finding Your Potential

Potential. People may tell you that you have lots of it ... that you are wasting yours ... or that you have none. Yet few people really know what potential is. And even fewer realize that discovering your potential allows you to change your fate ... redefine your destiny .. and change your life in the process of developing your potential. Knowing your potential does change your life ... by helping you understand what you can excel at and who you can become. Knowing that allows you to overcome your fate and make your dreams come true ... . What Is Personal Potential? Your personal potential describes ... *. The activities and tasks you can excel at : the hobbies, sports, jobs and relationships you can be great at. *. The person you can become : the professions, social status and fame you can attain. *. What it is possible for you to achieve : the life goals, wealth, honors, awards as well as the impact you can have on the world Potential comes from the root words"potency" and "potent" and refers to all the things you can be successful at if you developand use your gifts, talents and natural abilities. Everyone Has Potential ... All of us have within us the seeds of greatness. But everyone's potential is different. Some of us are great at telling stories. Others excel at making touchdowns, solving complex math problems, inventing things or growing herbs. Collectively, we have all the potential we need to create and sustain our world. And on the Island, we think that means a world where every dream can come true. But it takes every blade of grass, every breeze, every insect to make reality not only what it is, but what it could be. If we did all the things we are capable of doing we would literally astound ourselves. - Thomas Edison Your personal potential is not limited to just one area of your life ... it spills over like a waterfall and pools together with others of like minds and abilities. You not only have career potential, but the potential to be great in love and human relationships. You also have the potential to live a vibrant, healthy life ... using wisdom anddo amazing work. How Do I Discover My Potential? The answer comes by looking within rather than the world around you. Often it is easiest to discover what we do best by seeing what comes naturally to us and others struggle with. Some of us pick up languages quickly, others just seem to have been born in the saddle or with a skillet in their hand. But the only way we know that .. is by knowing people who are not like us, people who are hopeless at learning a language, riding a horse, or learning how to cook. The things we are intuitively great at .. that come to us naturally... point to and define our potential. What you are seeking is your greatness ... andthat can make you feel like you are not being humble enough, are tooting your own horn too loudly ... even before you discover what your music is. But our greatness is our gift to the world, what we can contribute to make the world sweet and wonderful and a delight to experience. What to Look For? The clues about what is possible for you are all around you .. in your past and present. As a child, you loved specific activities and things . You dreamed of doing great deeds and living a great life. And those dreams and ambitions hold clues about your potential. And you are still getting clues now ... in the things that you love, and the tasks you naturally do well without even trying. What places do you feel drawn to? What kinds of things make your heart beat faster when you think about them? What do you dream about and long to do?