Every person has potential, we all come into this world for something. Personally, I believe that an individual living being is an irreplaceable part of a huge organism called the “Universe”. Another question: how to understand what is the potential of everyone, what is our irreplaceability, what can an individual person give to the world that another cannot?
We often hear the expression “unleash your potential,” but what does this mean, is it inherent in every person, do you need to make an effort, or does it somehow happen on its own? We'll talk about this today.
In my opinion, the phrase “unleash your potential” is closely related to another equally popular word “realize.” A person who has realized himself can be seen a mile away, and he is not necessarily rich and famous, he is rather calm and confident in what he is doing. When you meet someone like that, you get the feeling that he has always been doing what he does, and that this is exactly what he should be doing. But, of course, we usually react this way because such a realized person or a person who has revealed his potential has already made a lot of mistakes, been disappointed many times, often has already gained such momentum that he now overcomes the difficulties that arise on autopilot and does not spend a lot on them emotions, as it was at the very beginning of the journey. All I'm trying to say now is that even the most realized person was once a “nobody”, afraid to take the first step and doubted his abilities. Those we often look up to have made many mistakes, failures and moments of complete despair. All this just didn’t break them!
A person who has revealed his potential differs from others in at least the following qualities:
- courage,
- adventurism,
- Believe in yourself,
- composure,
- the ability to forgive oneself mistakes and learn from them,
- the ability to finish what you start.
From my own experience, I am convinced that you need to do what you like and what your soul is about. Nowadays, the biggest difficulty in finding a way to personal fulfillment is money. But, if you are on the right path, this issue will be resolved by itself. Now it is being imposed that it is money that is the measure of the level of implementation, but this, of course, is not the case. The measure can be recognition, gratitude, a personal inner feeling of satisfaction, and money can, but it’s not a fact that it’s “great.”
What is potential?
Potential is a person’s abilities and capabilities with which he achieves success in certain areas of life.
Although, success may pass by - this is the whole “salt” of this concept. If someone purposefully moves in the direction he needs, avoiding mistakes, then he is able to realize his potential 100%. Only if he uses all the resources available to him to achieve this goal. The word itself is translated from Latin as “power, strength, capabilities.” Potential usually means a set of certain strong qualities of a person that help him perform the necessary work or succeed in sports or creativity. It becomes easier for him to learn and develop in any area.
This definition also refers to a person's intellectual and cognitive abilities, communication skills, creative inclinations and ability to think outside the box. Most often, potential is fully revealed in one area of activity . For example, for good performance in sports, a person must have excellent health, metabolism, a good build and certain structural features of the body. The absence of this data greatly complicates or even makes a sports career impossible.
In psychology, potential is a set of hidden abilities of a person, with the help of which he can achieve success in any area of life (career, hobbies, relationships, sports). To determine personal potential, the capabilities that an individual already possesses are taken into account. But the emphasis is on how these abilities will help him achieve a specific result in the future. By using their abilities productively, everyone can reach their full potential.
Fighting the traps of the mind
Generalizations
This is a common technique by which advertising materials try to sell their product. They deceive the buyer by saying that some offer applies to everyone, without backing up their words with any facts. However, a person himself is inclined to generalize some things.
For example, he says to himself: “No one has ever been able to succeed in knitting toys.” If you catch yourself using a similar phrase, ask a couple of clarifying questions. For example, ask: “Is it really true that no one could get rich? And who makes collectible teddy bears worth millions?” The stereotype will break on its own.
Attention Blurring
It’s difficult to achieve something if you constantly run around different industries and try to accomplish all your goals at once. This effect is called blurring of attention - a person cannot focus on something specific, he tries to keep up with all the hares at once.
To combat this, you need to make a list of life priorities. Force yourself to focus on the first points. Set strict deadlines that will prevent you from doing anything else. You can reward yourself for success.
Maximalism
Women who are prone to maximalism often express rather harsh thoughts. For them, the world is divided into white and black. Achievements can be either maximum - first place on the Forbes list - or worthless, even if the second place.
To get rid of maximalism, it is enough to put things in order in your own thoughts. It's time to stop building huge logical chains based only on your own paranoia and fears. You only need to think about the near future. Understand that any step towards your own happiness is not “small”, it is a full-fledged step forward.
Catastrophism
People who consider themselves catastrophists quite often prepare for the worst outcome. They constantly work themselves up and are paranoid, saying that if I quit my job, I will definitely die in poverty. Or - I’ll invest in my own training, nothing will come of it, and I’ll waste my money and only embarrass myself.
To combat such a trap, you need to stop screwing yourself up in time. It is worth stopping your own fears and understanding that not every undertaking ends in disaster. A good option is to look for other people’s examples and success stories.
Living by someone else's standards
As mentioned above, following other people’s advice and algorithms is a very bad idea. Each of us has our own path in life. Different people have different characters, abilities and skills, so they must follow different paths.
Therefore, a person must stop in time and understand that he is not trying to achieve his own goals. You need to discard the stereotypes of your social circle. Should a girl have children and stay at home? Who said that? Is a woman who is not fulfilled in her career a slacker? Stupidity.
Useful questions
Is it difficult to reach your potential? Adults often complain about the abundance of various worries in their lives that prevent them from achieving their goals. Although, many of them do not even try to remember their dreams under the weight of problems. What will help them start dreaming again? To do this, it is recommended to ask yourself the following useful questions.
- What fascinated you most in childhood (games, hobbies, sports). What school subjects inspired you?
- What do you remember about adolescence (interesting people, activities, plans)? What exactly was valuable about this?
- Which childhood dreams were realized and which were not? And why?
- What inspired you a few years ago? Are any of the above still relevant?
- How would you like to see yourself now? Do you want to become more sociable, cheerful, or vice versa?
- What personal talents have not yet been used?
- If you unlock your potential, how will it help other people? Will it benefit others?
Exercise “Morning Pages”
This technique was proposed by writer and screenwriter Julia Cameron. The technique makes it possible to find and restore creativity in a person and helps to reveal inner potential.
Morning Pages are a stream of consciousness that a person places on three sheets of handwritten text. The exercise is performed in the morning. After drinking a cup of coffee, you can begin the technique. You should write whatever comes to mind - morning pages, by definition, cannot be wrong. Even if it’s a boring entry like: “I don’t want to do anything. The kids are still sleeping, but I have so much to do. The whole kitchen is full of dishes."
The technique can also be used by those people whose activities are in no way related to writing. Morning pages can be absurd and don't involve much thought about grammar rules. The process of writing them is comparable to a musician performing scales. Scales are not included in the repertoire, but their implementation is mandatory for every professional.
Morning Pages do not need to be discussed or shown to other people. Even the most practitioner of this exercise is not recommended to re-read them earlier than a few weeks after writing. This technique, with long-term practice, allows you to build a reliable bridge to the depths of your own unconscious. With the help of morning pages, you can learn a lot about yourself, get more inspiration, reveal your inner resources, and gain wisdom. By performing practice, a person establishes contact with his creative part - the inner demiurge.
Keep a diary
With the help of a diary it is very easy to understand yourself, your desires and problems. When a person cannot decide on his dreams for a long time, recording everyday events helps a lot.
This way you can find out what exactly brings joy from everyday worries. If someone likes to communicate with children, then maybe it’s worth working with them?
Daily entries have helped many in determining their life preferences.
Additional recommendations
To fully realize their talent, a person needs to work not only on a specific area of life - for example, on becoming better in a chosen field of activity. In addition, you should transform your lifestyle. After all, everyday life is the basis on which a person realizes himself as an individual. Psychologists recommend adhering to the following rules:
- Refuse to judge anyone. Starting right from today, you should stop judging people and events, completely abandon critical perception or censure.
- Communicate regularly with wildlife. It cleanses a person of negative energy. The beauty of nature reflects the spiritual world of a person, making his soul more harmonious.
- Silence. This practice was promoted by philosophers and sages in ancient times. When a person talks too much, he wastes personal resources that could be used to unlock his potential. It is recommended to remain silent for one to two hours a day. Sometimes you can devote the whole day to this practice.
These rules will allow you to concentrate internal resources and direct them to achieve your goals. Compliance with them allows you to make a person more holistic, strong, and collected.
The Joy of Action
Is there anything that brings tangible joy? What is difficult to distract from? What takes priority over everything else ?
For example, if someone likes to edit their photos in special graphics programs, then they can think about professional growth in this area. Take a design or photography course. But for those who are not “burning” with this desire every day, it’s not even worth delving into this topic. In this case, it is better to look for a more suitable activity for yourself.
Definition of life values
What's priority
First of all, to realize your life and inner potential, you need to understand which direction is best to move. You need to put your thoughts on paper. Write down a list of all the goals you want to achieve. Write what you have dreamed of since childhood.
After that, arrange the points in descending order of importance. Put first what you really dream about. The latter are not very important desires or goals imposed on you by the people around you or your family.
Incompatible things
Take a close look at the list. Social potential is a combination of a huge number of qualities and skills. It is simply impossible to achieve everything that is considered a measure of success in society. It is advisable to focus on one direction.
Therefore, from the list of life priorities it is necessary to cross out those things that are incompatible with higher priority things. For example, if a girl wants to start a huge family and see the world at the same time, she will not have enough time to build a great career.
Finding hobbies
What's the easiest way to find something you like? Of course, try it ! If a person has never played the guitar, how will he understand that he has talent for it? The same applies to knitting, embroidery, singing, carpentry, etc.
It is important to find an activity that inspires you to get up in the morning and achieve more and more new results. That is why you should carefully look around you and determine what you already have for a new hobby, and what you need to buy in addition.
The main thing instilled in the search for talent is: “Try and find out.” Thanks to new sensations, a person tests himself for willpower, courage, and the ability to go beyond the usual boundaries. Perhaps someone will find their destiny, which was given to them from birth. Difficulties should not repel, but only strengthen faith in achieving the best result.
You can set goals to explore new hobbies. So, fresh skills will be added every week.
For example, spend one week playing the guitar, and the second week take care of animals in a zoo corner. The third is to learn new ways of skating. This way, you can quickly determine your true inclinations.
You shouldn't be afraid of mistakes. If you don’t taste this world, it will be difficult to learn something new. It is important to listen to your inner feelings.
Acquiring healthy habits
Revisiting failure as an empirical experience
Since energy potential is primarily an indicator of internal harmony, you need to treat yourself easier. Every person will have failures. All great geniuses began on a thorny path, where they regularly stumbled and fell.
But a mistake is not a sign of an incompetent person. This is not a symbol that you will never be able to achieve anything. This is just experience that will be useful in building your next achievements. Once you fall, you will understand that you can’t do that, and you won’t make a mistake again.
Maintaining a sense of purpose as failures accumulate
The second point is directly related to the first. If a person constantly makes mistakes and is haunted by failures, he begins to be disappointed in himself. After every mistake, the desire to turn away from a difficult path constantly grows.
It is important
But escape is not the answer. Learn to keep your head straight after any blows of fate. Don't think about what didn't work out. It’s better to talk about what you have already accomplished, what success you have achieved. Think that you have the strength to start changing, and this is already worth a lot.
Breaking down any complex task into manageable steps
Don't be maximalists and globalists. Human resources are significantly limited. No individual can go from rags to riches in just a few days. Working on yourself is a long and difficult task.
Therefore, take small but comfortable steps. The goal of “becoming rich and living happily” needs to be divided into several subgoals and moving towards them gradually. Otherwise, the already described problem of defocusing attention arises.
Maintaining a Positive Thinking
It has already been proven that people who tend to be positive live longer and achieve greater success. Their quality of life is much better and their health remains in better condition than that of pessimists.
Therefore, it is useful to maintain a positive mindset in any situation. You shouldn't constantly prepare for the worst case scenario. Think about how there are many rewarding moments in life. Look at all your successes with a smile. Remember that the world is not as harsh and caustic as it seems. There are many people here who have managed to achieve success. So can you!
Other people's victories as a source of inspiration
Learn to be inspired by other people's victories and success stories. Read various autobiographies of people who were able to rise in the same industry that you are aiming for. You can even take their advice.
But don’t take someone else’s life path as a panacea. You may not be so lucky. And if a famous person was able to achieve everything by the age of 30, this does not mean that you are a failure.
Maintaining an internal focus of control
Remember that the most important thing in achieving success is complete internal self-control. Not a single person has yet been able to fully reveal his reserve, constantly falling into hysterics.
Just knowing how to realize your potential is not enough. You need to learn to constantly monitor your emotions. When eliminating negative character traits, monitor their first manifestations in a timely manner.
Accepting achievements as part of a conscious life strategy
Every achievement should be accepted with pride, but under no circumstances should it be a reason to stop. Conscious living and self-development require constant progress. If you were able to achieve something, there is no need to stop.
Just take your success for granted. Any victory is a step towards a global goal, but nothing more. If you learn to perceive life this way, you will achieve a lot.
Take real steps
It takes a lot of courage and desire to reach your potential. These are steps into the unknown. But don't be afraid to do them. There are no guarantees that everything will work out. The efforts may not pay off at all. But leaving your comfort zone will do more good than harm. Many people in this situation are familiar with doubts:
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- “What if I can’t?” – this may be the case;
- “What if everything only gets worse?” – and this cannot be ruled out;
- “normal people don’t need to leave their comfort zone, they feel good as it is” - it’s hard to argue.
It is common for the human mind to justify laziness with various reasons. Just to do nothing and not strive anywhere. But what happens if you still try to change the usual course of your everyday life. No one can guarantee success, but it’s still worth taking the risk. The state of risk itself is valuable. Over and over again, it will become easier for a person to open up to new opportunities. He will be able to learn dancing, another language, get a new qualification and learn many interesting, previously unexplored things.
Success means having time to share personal success
“Successful people,” as they are often called, use this extra potential to achieve progress and outstanding success in work, business and life.
That person is Robert Glaser, founder and CIO of marketing agency Acceleration Partners. Robert, in addition to being a successful entrepreneur, is passionate about supporting people and organizations to build and develop their potential.
Robert Glaser
In 2015, Robert Glaser began sending inspirational emails to his employees every Friday. In them he wrote not about current professional affairs and business, but about personal development.
He was inspiring and described practical ways to improve. In this way, he wanted to encourage his colleagues to improve their lives in various aspects, thereby helping them to better use their potential. Interest in the weekly newsletter exceeded Robert's wildest expectations.
The employees eagerly awaited his next interesting and encouraging letters. They also began to share them with their relatives and friends. They saw value in them because these letters motivated them, helped them take action and become the best version of themselves. This led to great success not only in professional but also in personal life.
The process of motivating other people stimulated Robert Glaser himself. After all, there is nothing more convincing than your own good example. This encouraged him to develop himself and helped him rise to a new level, constantly developing his own potential.
Robert Glaser's Friday Forward newsletter is currently subscribed to and regularly read by more than 100,000 people, including many business leaders from various organizations, in more than 50 countries around the world.
Skill building
After identifying your new talents, you shouldn’t stop there.
Talent is like a seed . This is just a deposit that requires a lot of effort. It needs to be watered, weeded, fed with fertilizers - everything that will help it grow into a full-fledged plant. It's the same with talent. All great people have gone through similar trials.
You can't even pull a fish out of the pond without effort. This proverb could not come at a better time.
Adhere to the principle “Nothing is impossible!”
Such a statement, of course, can be called too bold. But successful people sooner or later had to follow him. They set goals that seemed impossible and overcame this milestone as winners.
Exercise “Creative date”
The technique is useful for unlocking creative potential, and with its help you can learn to take care of yourself. After all, the process of creation involves the expenditure of internal resources, which must be replenished. Creative dates are also useful during times of emotional decline, when a person thinks that what they are doing is complete nonsense.
The point of the method is that at least once a week you need to devote time to yourself, to be alone with your thoughts. You can go to nature to enjoy the silence. Or go to an art exhibition, museum or cinema. In the end, go to a cafe and order your favorite dish, then leisurely enjoy every bite. After performing this technique, much more inspiration and creative strength appears.
Capacity development
Internal reserves for potential development are not enough. They should be constantly strengthened and developed. It happens that this process occurs independently, without human influence, but rather, subject to external circumstances.
To unlock your potential, you need to understand what has already been done and what will still be needed . If someone has the ability to draw, but had to receive education in another specialty, then over time they can return to this hobby. No one forbids drawing for yourself, for your own pleasure, in your free time from work.
When you need to start unlocking your internal reserves
There are certain signs when it is best to take the time to reach your potential:
- lacks energy to improve your life;
- problems in the family, at work;
- the feeling that everything is meaningless, life passes, nothing changes.
All of the above indicates that a person’s internal reserves are depleted. It is at such moments that it is useful to think about new sources of energy, about hobbies that will bring a charge of vigor and confidence in the future.
How to restore energy
Emotional nourishment
Learn to restore your energy in any way possible. It's better not to draw vitality from people - no one likes emotional vampires. Just, if you feel very tired, pet the cat, for example.
From time to time, get out into nature with friends and genuinely have fun. Take up a favorite hobby and devote a lot of time to it. Find your outlet - and life will become much easier.
Visualization
When you no longer have enough strength to move forward, remember why you overcame all this difficult path. Once again visualize your own goal, imagine yourself as the head of a successful family or business woman.
This psychological technique will allow you to be filled with lost enthusiasm and new motivation. You will again want to fulfill your desire and will run forward at great speed.
III. The decay of love in capitalist society
Modern man is alienated from himself, from his neighbor, from nature. He has been turned into a commodity and perceives his vital forces as capital, which should bring him the maximum profit possible under existing market conditions. Human relationships become, in essence, relationships between automata, alienated from each other, each of which ensures its security by not standing out from the crowd, not differing from others in thoughts, feelings, and actions. Trying to separate as little as possible from others, everyone remains infinitely alone; he is filled with feelings of uncertainty, anxiety and guilt, which always appear when a person cannot overcome his loneliness. Our civilization offers many palliatives that give a person the opportunity not to realize his loneliness.
This social character of modern man cannot but manifest itself when it comes to love. Automata cannot love: they can exchange their personal “sets of qualities” and hope for a fair deal. This alienated nature of love—and especially marriage—is perhaps most clearly demonstrated in the idea of the “team.” Many articles about a happy marriage present the ideal as a team playing well together. This description is not very different from the image of a smoothly functioning employee; he must be “reasonably independent” and cooperative, tolerant—and at the same time ambitious and aggressive. So: “marriage experts” tell us that a husband must understand his wife and must be willing to help her. He should speak favorably of her new dress and the deliciously prepared dish. She, for her part, must show understanding when he comes home tired and dissatisfied, listen carefully to his stories about troubles at work, not get angry, but understand him if he forgets about her birthday. All that is covered by this type of relationship is a well-functioning relationship between two people who remain strangers to each other all their lives, who do not achieve a “deep connection”, but observe mutual politeness and try to please each other.
In this concept of love and marriage, the main emphasis is on escaping feelings of loneliness that would otherwise be unbearable.
A little about everything
Where do you get your energy from? Does it happen that the body is completely deprived of strength? Often, a normal body malaise is a sure sign of exhaustion. During such periods, the body is on the brink and balances between health and illness.
Have you ever wondered where organisms get their energy? It's simple: from positive and pleasant moments in life. Everyone has their own moments. Some people play sports and enjoy it, while others raise children and feel great.
However, it also happens that a person is successful - he has a good job, hobbies, close people, but there is not enough energy for life. And we are talking about moral resources here. I constantly want to sit at home, have less contact with people (even the closest ones), and the desire to sleep does not go away throughout the day. What went wrong?
A person who does not live according to the laws of the Universe will never have the energy and desire to live life to the fullest.
You've probably noticed that some people don't succeed, no matter how much effort they put into a particular job. Everything looks as if something is blocking them. But there is no apparent reason for this.
Selfish impulses and the desire to take care of your well-being block you from the messages of the Universe.
Someone thinks that if a person takes care of himself and his family, then this is quite enough. However, this is also selfishness, not so big, but still selfishness. In fact, someone’s life is not so important to us, except for those people who are in our immediate environment.
It is worth being open and cultivating philanthropy. Isn't that what we were taught as children? Be polite, help people, give way to the elderly...
Large earnings do not guarantee happiness, and thoughts around one’s own “I” lead a person to a dead end.
No attempts to regain your former pleasure in life will be successful, because you are fixated. Break out of the bubble that you yourself have inflated, and you will see that there are no boundaries.
What rhythm to set
When developing a personality and discovering skills and abilities that have been dormant in character until this moment, you need to maintain a balance between the desire for speedy changes and excessive slowness. Constantly staying in the same place, feeling sorry for yourself and being afraid is a bad option.
Advice
But you shouldn’t rush headlong into a burning pool either. Maintain the most comfortable pace for yourself, choosing it individually. Set yourself a specific deadline, for example, by the end of next year I will sign up for vocal courses and learn to sing. When making important decisions, on the contrary, take your time and weigh all the pros and cons.
