Human beings have more power, more strength and more capacity than they will ever use in their lifetimes. We have inner resources, enormous possibilities and natural gifts to achieve greatness within our lives.
Best selling author Brian Tracy writes, “The potential of the average person is like a huge ocean un-sailed, a new continent unexplored, a world of possibilities waiting to be released and channeled toward some great good.”
One of the most important factors in reaching our potential in life is our self-esteem–the value judgment of you. Nathaniel Branden, a psychiatrist and expert on the subject of self-esteem says, “No factor is more important in people’s psychological development and motivation than the value judgments they make about themselves.”
Do you believe in your potential?
Christensen and Rebecca J. Laird in their book, Spiritual Direction: Wisdom for the Long Walk of Faith, tell a story about a sculptor and a young boy:
“There was once a sculptor who worked hard with hammer and chisel on a large block of marble. A little child who was watching him saw nothing more than large and small pieces of stone falling away left and right. He had no idea what was happening. But when the boy returned to the studio a few weeks later, he saw, to his surprise, a large, powerful lion sitting in the place where the marble had stood.
“With great excitement, the boy ran to the sculptor and said, ‘Sir, tell me, how did you know there was a lion in the marble?’ ‘I knew there was a lion in the marble because before I saw the lion in the marble, I saw him in my own heart. The secret is that it was the lion in my heart that recognized the lion in the marble.’”
Until we change the way see ourselves, our potential remains buried underneath layers of self-doubt.
When we have a humble but healthy confidence in the gifts that God has placed within us, the person God created comes alive. When God gets hold of us, we begin to see our potential in a different way…we understand our gifts are to be used to honor God.
What gifts and talents has God given you? What holds you back from maximizing your potential? Share your story with us.
Lord, help us to discover the depth of our potential that is waiting to be released for a greater good. Give us greater confidence in our God-given talents and gifts, that we may honor You with them.
