Are You Limiting Your Potential?

There was a time when I played basketball. As a matter of fact, I absolutely loved the sport and I still do. I had this basketball coach who began working with me when I was only 13. 

Unbeknownst to me, this coach saw that I had potential. I thought he was some nice guy like one of my beloved uncles until he started working with me and encouraging me to push my body and mind like I had never done before. Then I thought he was picking on me and that he didn't like me.  Remember, at this point I was a kid. 

Turns out, he did like me. He was teaching me about potential. He was teaching me life lessons I would never forget. He was teaching me how naturally complacent we can all get. At the same time he taught me how much internal strength we have if we just believe in ourselves, work, sweat, fail and stay relentless. 

How many failed shots? How many failed layups? How many times did I get my clock cleaned by someone blocking my shot? How many times did I fall and have bloody knees and sprained ankles? How many times did I almost quit?  How many jammed knuckles and fingers? Too many times to count. 

Point is, I got back up every time I fell down. Every time I went out to play I tried to be better than I was before. And good, bad and ugly, I did improve. I did get better.

Fast forward to adult life. I  dropped college because I got sick. Really sick. I fought my way back to walking (thanks mom and dad) and as a young adult had to start over. (thanks mom and dad and fam). 

Throughout the process of getting well, mentally and physically I kept getting back up. There was/is something intrinsic in me that knew I had not reached my God given potential.  So, ups and downs, flare ups, knock downs, mistakes and failing I knew I wasn't done.  And many more times in my adult life I have been relentless. I continue to get back up. I continue to reach for the potential.

I guess my point here is I believe we probably never reach the potential to do great things or be the best we can be because we limit ourselves or forget to not be complacent, you know, that place of comfort. We can be thankful and I believe that is vital. But we can be thankful without being complacent. Because what if...what if your drive to reach your potential has a ripple effect of positive around you?

There is a psychology of work for the weekend.  In fitness training "work for the rest" is an actual technique in getting athletes to push. This is not my favorite technique. As a matter of fact I'm not wired like that at all, but I realize it works for some people. Point being, what if we worked and lived (and these two things are not independent) more to our potential? What if we dared to take responsibility for our lives, well being, happiness, success and actually began to give ourselves permission to tap into that unknown amazing potential that we dare to believe exists? What if? 

Would you know yourself? Does it scare you a bit?