Everyone has something special about them, and a whole world of potential that’s inside them begging to be unleashed. So why is it that so often, we forgo this potential and settle on what we have? In this blogpost, I’ll discuss what exactly I think are the big rocks that block one’s path to unveil their limitless capacities.

But wait — you might be thinking: “I’m just an ordinary person. I don’t do anything special, and I’m not sure what I could possibly do to change that“. And you’re not alone — which is why the first big rock that blocks one’s potential is feeling lost. In the words of champion public speaker Dananjaya Hettierachchi, “When you’re lost, it’s very difficult to feel special”. And the more I reflect, the more I find this is true. So what’s a way to feel “less lost?”. I’ll begin by saying, as cliche as it sounds, that there isn’t a set path. Life is a continued path of discovery, and anything you do will continue to build your path of discovery. For instance, high school has an opportunity for work experience. University or college is a time for exploration both in and out of campus, from the various majors and minors on campus to the internships out of campus. After that, our workforce is a catalyst for innovation. The point is, the more exposure we get, the more likely we’ll be able to realise where our potential lies, and the more likely we’ll be to act upon it.

But ahead lies an even larger rock. Even though one may know where their potential lies, they will not be inclined to develop it into a reality. And in fact, this is where the majority fall short — the rock of fear and sacrifice. Don’t get me wrong: oftentimes, the jump between where we are and where we want to be is no small leap. Let me rephrase that. The jump between where we are and where we want to be is NEVER a small jump. Potential involves a degree of sacrifice, and this applies to everything we do. To become a sporting champion, we sacrifice money and we sacrifice time to purchase equipment, and train with coaches. To become a prominent medical researcher, we may sacrifice time with our family, and ironically, our health (by toiling such long hours). To become an entrepreneur, we sacrifice our future prospects of our job, our money and time, and possibly our dignity — if everything fails.

We’ve discussed some various rocks, and what they have in common is a sense of control. In other words, you’re expecting them, and you’ll probably know the outcome when you take action. However, it’s not always such a smooth ride — we’ll often be hit harder with rocks that we don’t see rather than the ones that roll out right in front of us. And due to this nature, these rocks are quite unpredictable. It may be the rock of health, which suddenly imposes a huge burden on the actions you can or cannot take. It may be the rock of accessibility: where your location is plays a huge determinant in the amount of exposure you gain. It may be the rock of personal belief, which may condemn the values that a company prides.

“I see something in you, but I don’t know what it is” — Dananjaya Hettiarachchi.

What life throws at you are rocks of feeling lost and rocks of fear and sacrifice. However, what it doesn’t tell you is that when we step over these rocks, the peak that we can possibly stand on top of is higher than mount everest. Personally, I haven’t got there yet, and I’ll admit, I don’t even think I’m close. But with just a bit of luck and hard work, I hope I’ll be up the peak soon. Well, probably a bit longer than soon. But you get the point.

Image credit: success magazine