Several years ago, I found myself consoling a distraught young man who seemed so upset about the way his life was going that he believed he wasn’t worth anything.  That his life meant nothing and that even when he tried hard at doing the most simple of things, he failed.  And failed miserably.  So much that he became a ward of the state and refused to be more than anything more than what he had been told his entire life.  His missteps became something to count on and expect and so he had never known anything different.  He was expected to screw up.  And that became his role and his persona.  He never wanted to work very hard at being anyone different and even when he tried, he failed at that too.

And maybe my “Pollyanna” attitude was too much for him.  Maybe I saw something too great that even the slight notion of it scared him because, without warning, it set him off into a tizzy that required me to call law enforcement.  And even though he threatened to kill me (that’s when I called 911), I still never thought he would.  Sure, I felt like he might hurt me, but I still believed in everything he could be.

So why share this scary story with you?  Because it highlights the potential that we all have within us, but never see.  Maybe it scares us to be told we can be more than what we are right now.  Maybe we are surrounded by people who will never support us in our new endeavors as we seek to find a new path with a better sense of where we really want to be.  Maybe we believe anything good will be short-lived so why even try.

And like this young man, we limit ourselves just the same.  Regardless of the reason, we prohibit our lives from being fully lived.  Fully appreciated.  Fully beneficial to everyone we know or would meet.  We prevent our lives from being anything but mediocre at best and find ourselves afraid of the possibility of greatness.

So we downplay our successes and hide our gifts.  We shy away from achievements and dismiss compliments.

[bctt tweet=”When are we going to welcome everything that we are and see the possibility in all that we are yet to be?”]

Potential is limitless if we  believe in it.  If we are encouraged by endless possibility.  Who hasn’t watched someone exceed all expectations, despite the statistics from earlier cases or medical diagnosis where new research and development can enhance our lives, instead of discourage it.

And what becomes of the children we raise to follow their hearts and to believe in everything they want to be?  Are we telling them one thing while we do the complete opposite?  And what does our message of “never even coming close to doing everything that we possibly can” say?  Is that really what we want for our kids?

I didn’t think so…

So what is our alternative?

…To seek that which cannot be seen.

…To believe in that which cannot be proven.

…To do that which seems improbable.

…To understand that which is unexplained.

…To trust that which has no answers.

…To consider that which has no meaning.

…To affirm that which was once denied.

…To think that which cannot be forgotten.

What prevents you from fulfilling your potential?  From doing more? Giving more?  Being more?  Most often, our limits are not the ones placed on us by others — they are the ones we place on ourselves instead.  Our resources can be as defined or as unrestricted as we want them to be.  The choice is ours.

Knowing what we know about potential and how we would regret the chance not to use every bit of our abilities, talents, and imagination to live our BEST lives, why would we choose to live any other way? Imagine what we could do if we believed so much in ourselves and each other than nothing would stand in our way?  What will YOU do with your ONE chance to do more than you ever thought you could do?  Would’t it be fun to surprise even yourself for a change and do the things NO one else ever imagined you could do?

The idea of endless possibility excites me more than anything.  We are allowed to see a blank canvas and throw every imaginable color on it to make the beauty of life come alive…that is where we find our potential.

Michelle A. Homme 2015 ©