Estimated reading time: 5 minutes, 33 seconds
You have more potential than you realise.
You have a unique set of gifts, experiences and abilities, but unless you apply yourself, you will never fulfil your potential.
So, what are you waiting for?
Here is a brand new Wisdom Made Easy visual to complement today’s principle of wisdom:
Having all the colours in the world means nothing if they never reach the canvas.
Your gifts matter, but it's what you do with them that allows something beautiful to emerge.
Fulfil your potential by applying your gifts.
Today’s Saying is truly thought-provoking:
“The big challenge is to become all that you have the possibility of becoming.”
Potential is a possibility, not a promise.
You won't fulfil it by waiting to discover what you’re capable of.
You discover what you're capable of by doing something with what you've been given.
I've wrestled with the word potential for much of my life.
At primary school, I excelled academically. Then secondary school arrived, and I stopped applying myself in the same way, so my results reflected that.
For years, I beat myself up about my wasted potential.
Eventually, I realised two things: I needed to give myself grace for what had already happened, then I needed to take responsibility for what happened next.
Today, I get to apply my gifts through Wisdom Made Easy: creating illustrations, writing newsletters and making videos that encourage people to get wiser.
My potential wasn't gone.
I just needed to start applying myself again.
If you feel like you're capable of more, here are 3 encouragements to get you going again:
Give yourself grace.
You cannot change how you've used your gifts until now, but you can decide what you do with them next.
It's not too late to start.
I often think of Julian Hearn when I consider this. He founded Huel - one of the most successful brands in the last 10 years - when he was in his late 40s.
Identify your palette and paintbrush.
What are you good at? Then ask how you can use it.
For example, if your gift is communication, perhaps your action is to start writing publicly.
And please ensure you focus on what you can control: your inputs.
In fact, that brings me on to encouragement #3.
Own what happens next.
Sure, your circumstances matter and some people genuinely have more obstacles than others.
But you ought to focus your energy on what remains within your control. Don't let what you can't change stop you doing what you can.
And please don’t feel pressured by the idea of potential.
Ultimately this is all about doing something meaningful with what you've already been given.
Let’s dive deeper into today’s wisdom with these 3 journal prompts:
What gifts, experiences and abilities are already on my palette?
How could I practically apply one or more of them?
What is within my control that I could act on today?
Today’s resource is another book! (Yes, I’m on a bit of a book binge at the moment!)
If you want to dive deeper on today’s principle of wisdom, consider checking out Do the Work by Steven Pressfield.
Pressfield recognises that potential often gets stuck somewhere between intention and action.
This short book explores the resistance that prevents us from starting and finishing meaningful work, ultimately encouraging us to push through it.
If you’ve already recognised that you’ve got the palette, then this book will help you to pick up the brush and get painting.
Consider purchasing it from your friendly local bookstore. Alternatively, you can find where to purchase it here:
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Catch you in the next issue!
Thanks,
Michael