Tap Into The Power Of Your Potential

“You have enormous untapped power that you will probably never tap, because most people never run far enough on their first wind to ever find they have a second.”

William James

I’ve Been Thinking. . . about the awesome concept of potential? I’m grappling with Denis Waitley’s challenge to “Never rest on your achievements; always nurture your potential.” How does that apply to me? What is my potential?

City slicker Smith smiled as he exited the hardware store with his brand new power chainsaw. Guaranteed to cut down several trees an hour, this was his ticket to clearing away land on his new country acreage. Two days later, he returned to the store in a fit of frustration and anger. “This saw isn’t worth a plug nickel. You guaranteed me it would cut down several trees an hour. I barely fell one tree in an entire day.”

Somewhat puzzled, the store manager stepped outside with the saw, flipped the switch, and gave the cord a rip. The saw fired up and the steel-toothed chain whirled around the 24” guide bar. Startled by the deafening noise, Smith jumped back. “What’s that noise?” he gasped.

Smith’s failure to use the saw’s built in power is similar to our common approach to getting more done. Limits are set on our achievement potential because we underestimate our capabilities. People sincerely believe they are just too busy to do more than their present output. They are only capable of cutting one tree per day. Yet, compared to what we are capable of, our horsepower may be functioning at only half or three-fourths its potential.

Countless intelligent people limit their life enhancing, achievement producing potential. They never move further than the boundaries of their self-imposed limitations or bountiful excuses. As scientist Willis R. Whitney pointed out, “Some men have thousands of reasons why they cannot do what they want to, when all they need is one reason why they can.”

I’m attempting to align myself with Erma Bombeck’s desire that, “When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left and could say, ‘I used everything you gave me.’”

Winners are people who do not leave to chance the gift of time or opportunity to achieve. They realize they are not yet everything they are intended to be -- even though some of us have come farther than we ever thought we would. They pursue it systematically through the use of simple, fundamental truths that generate a new world of opportunity.

“A sobering thought:” pondered Jane Wagner, “what if, right at this very moment, I am living up to my full potential?” I sincerely doubt that it is ever possible or we would need to redefine potential. In fact, Stanford research indicates we use less than 5 percent of our mental ability.

Be bold enough to envision and create a level of effectiveness beyond your present scope of thinking. You are intended to be a different person next month than you are today. There are accomplishments out there for you to encounter that haven’t even entered your mind. You have potential power that is waiting to have its’ engine started.

“The only reason you are not the person you should be is because you don’t dare to be,” said William H. Danforth. “Once you dare, new powers harness themselves for your service.”

Consider the advice of St. Francis of Assisi: “Start by doing what’s necessary, then what’s possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” What a great way to reveal the dormant, unused, untapped potential that exists within.

What do you ‘dare’ to become?

“Life is like a ten-speed bicycle. Most of us have gears we have never used.”

Linus
Peanuts Comic Strip

Easing The Pain

“Flexibility means the ability to bend mentally and physically, to adapt one’s self to any circumstances or environment while maintaining self-control and composure.”

Napoleon Hill

I’ve Been Thinking . . . about the comparison between back pain and life’s pains.

Our foursome was enjoying the customary Memorial Day round of golf. We arrived at the challenging par 3, sixth hole and I reminded myself not to worry about the water in front of me or the sand traps protecting the front of the green. My final thought before swinging was to swing easy and let the club do the work.

As I stroked the ball and let my body follow through with the swing, an excruciating pain suddenly shot through my lower back and down my right leg. Before I knew it, I was on my knees, unable to move. After several minutes of careful maneuvering, I hobbled over to the golf cart. Needless to say, I didn’t finish the hole or the round of golf.

For the next several days I endured several visits to the doctor, chiropractor and physical therapist. As the therapist concluded her initial consultation, she indicated I had a problem with flexibility. “I rate patients on a scale of unsatisfactory, marginal or satisfactory,” she said.

“Where do I fit on your scale?” I asked.

“Let’s just say it is going to take considerable effort to get you to a marginal level of flexibility. Until you increase your flexibility,” she continued, “the pain will persist.”

Lack of flexibility isn’t a one-time event. It often creeps up on you without advance notice or warning. The climax is painful and sometimes paralyzing. There is no quick-fix prescription for healing. It normally involves a lifetime of exercises designed to increase flexibility and thus minimize the pain.

I’ve learned the hard way that intermittent stretching won’t fix the problem. If I perform the prescribed exercises only when the pain surfaces the result is temporary relief. Permanent improvement in my flexibility requires adjustments in the way I sit and stand, learning to adequately stretch before physical activity and maintaining a daily regimen of exercises.

There is a direct correlation between the challenge of maintaining physical flexibility and the ability to remain mentally and emotionally flexible through life’s challenges, changes, painful moments, and demands. People stuck in habitual behavior and thinking, without being strengthened by a fair amount of stretching beyond what’s currently comfortable, will sooner or later experience considerable discomfort.

These are unsettling times in which we live. Anyone who pretends that life goes as planned is a consummate fool. Stability is no longer on the agenda and adapting only to your own schedule isn’t acceptable. Success in this environment requires continual flexibility and adaptability. Consider this -- if the rate of change in the world exceeds your rate of change, pain is certain.

An immediate and ongoing commitment to loosen up, stretch, and go with the flow will brighten your day-to-day life and ease potential pain. If you haven’t already done so, I encourage you to give it a try.


“People wish to be settled. Only as far as they are unsettled is there any hope for them.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson