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