Most people live their lives in permanent potential. One of my coaches told me this. They have potential, everyone else sees it, they themselves can sense it, yet they never ACT on it. They never USE that potential. It never materializes into anything. It’s just there. Their potential is a dusty trophy they keep on the top shelf. Eventually, they get so used to it they forget about it. But, oh, 20 years from now, they can tell the story of all they “could have” been and done. But never did.

What a tragedy. I identify with this crowd. You see, until recently, it was me.

I came to the United States with my family when I was 5. We came because this country carried the promise of POTENTIAL. All the things we could do and become that were not available in our home country. So we were encouraged to live to that potential. I was the smartest kid in the class, pushed myself to do great not only in class but in sports and student leadership. I did so well, I got a full-ride scholarship to college. I didn’t stop there. In 2008, when the sky was falling for everyone else, I had a job offer before I started my last semester of college.

I was full of potential! The sky was the limit. The world was my oyster.

But while working in corporate America, a small change happened. All of a sudden, I was no longer the one who controlled what I could do with my potential. There were rules, regulations, red tape and standard practices. Years of giving it my all and being so slowly rewarded for it started taking their toll. I heard people talk about my potential, and I knew that I had it, but all of a sudden, it seemed that I was no longer in control of WHEN it would materialize in my career. I allowed myself to believe that OTHER people were responsible for determining when I could act upon my potential.

When I decided to launch my own business, the hardest part for me was to gather the courage to go and do. Now, I know most people who know me would disagree with that statement. They’ve seen me put myself out there on Periscope, Facebook Live, and speaking in front of crowds. But when it came time to make an offer and get clients, I always stalled.

I had gotten so comfortable looking at how big my potential was, that it scared me to actually live it out.

I had to spend time alone with myself and allow myself to be brutally honest with my feelings. Allow me to admit that I was the one holding myself back. No one else. It was MY fault, my responsibility, my choice. That was the best part.

Because if I was the problem, that meant I was the solution as well.

How many of you are in the same boat? You feel like you’ve been working away. There is always so much activity. Yet you’re in the same place where you started? You’ve made no progress. Are you ready to be brutally honest with yourself? Are you ready to claim responsibility? Are you ready to start LIVING your potential instead of keeping it as a dusty trophy on a shelf?

The first step is to admit that you are not where you want to be. The second step is to identify where do you want to be. Now start filling in the gaps. Remove any activity that will not help you get to point B. Listen to the thought leaders that will help you get there faster (hello, Classy Career Girl!). Don’t wait until the end of your life to realize that you’ve only scratched the surface of your potential (Henry David Thoreau).  At whatever cost – start now!

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