Do you believe you have more potential to contribute, be, do, or achieve?

Most readers will say Yes. The question is how do we tap into our potential and our purpose?

This is an incredibly large topic. Please consider this article part of the answer for you and the people you serve.

In numerous other articles, I have cited research that contributes to our condition.

• Close to 80% of individuals dislike what they do for a living, from a feeling of mild irritation to downright loathing.
• Over 70% of people have no conscious idea of their Personal Style, strengths, values, interests, gifts, or talents.
• Up to 95% of illness is lifestyle-related.
• The majority of individuals don t have any clear vision for their future.

Where to Start to Change

While interviewing our colleague Richard Knowdell, a 40-year career-development professional, I asked him this: With all the career-development resources available, why do 80% of people still not enjoy their work? His answer?  People are not willing to do the work or invest in their own professional development to achieve growth. Most will spend more time and money on entertainment this year than on their own development.
 
To realize our potential, we must make a commitment to work on ourselves. Why? Without self-awareness, we will be unable to make intentional or purposeful decisions.

• Do you know your Personal Style pattern? If not, complete our Personal Style Indicator to be clear about your preferences and how important they are to all your choices in life.
• Are you clear about your core values? In five separate studies, the process of clarifying and documenting values
  • increased confidence;
  • reduced stress while boosting wellness; and
  • improved objectivity and enhanced decision-making capabilities while amplifying resilience to challenges and problems. Our Values Preference Indicator is a powerful start for that clarification.
• Be clear about your gifts, talents, and abilities. They are separate measures and elements. My Source EXPERIENCE Journal provides you with a roadmap for the process.

With that backdrop, let me outline a model to help you

• live on purpose,
• realize your potential, AND
• provide a way to see and nurture the potential and purpose in others.

Although there are many factors, I will reference two elements that impact your ability to realize your potential.

The first factor is your state of joy and happiness.
It will be impossible to realize your potential if you are miserable, down, and unhappy. That is not to say every waking moment will be filled with joy but are you feeling grounded and centered? The now is the only place any of us can ever live, so why not enjoy it?!

• A wave of research is underway in the area of mindfulness and the importance of being present in the now.
• The added element is your mindset the way you are experiencing your life . . . your level of happiness. All your actions and thoughts have an impact; it is impossible to realize your potential unless you are in a place of contentment.

Are you joyful and happy in the moment?
If I were to ask the people who work with you and your family and friends,
what would they say?

When people interact with you, are they better for it or does your state cause others to want to leave you as soon as possible so they will not be polluted by your negativity?

At every given moment, we have a choice about how we will respond and react to what life hands us. Are you intentional about your joy and happiness?

A businessowner shares his story . . .
A couple of years ago, his business had become a burden. At first his enterprise had been fun, exciting, and fulfilling but, as his business grew, he shifted his focus to what the experts said he needed to do . . .

• work from a formal business plan,
• put systems in place to support the business,
• study client trends . . . and more.

Those things are important but they had become his focus, rather than listening to his heart and keeping in touch with the reasons he had started his business in the first place.

Ò! He had lost the vision that his efforts were

• to be a fun way to pay his university tuition and support him, and
• to help others.

So he shifted his mindset. He stopped trying so hard and began to live in the moment rather than worrying about all the plans and strategies that needed to be done. The result? His business grew by over 400% that year.

If individuals are miserable, whining, and constantly complaining (showing lack of joy and happiness), people won t want to hang out, support, or help them. They won t be attracted to them. That is common sense.

Unhappiness and lack of joy are contributing to our increased stress and illness levels. Over 50% of the members of the global workforce consider themselves highly stressed. If you are not joyful and happy in the now, you are not realizing your full potential.

The second factor: Do you have a future vision?
Recently, there have been suggestions that smart goals do more harm than good, however, having a vision is critical to realizing our potential.

• Vision should be an active-tense condition that is always in play and that you are working to achieve.
• Hope (which always refers to the future) is one of the most powerful words, concepts, and conditions. Hope drives individuals to do and become more.

Many of you are familiar with Viktor Frankl, author of Man s Search for Meaning, who lived in German prison camps during WWII. In his book, Frankl states the reason he survived and others did not was his daily vision (hope) of getting back together with his family. That gave him inspiration, determination, and strength when others were in despair. His statement that others can take everything from me but they cannot take my vision or dreams is one we can all embrace. 

If we have no future vision, what will inspire us to become more?

For us as human beings, realizing our calling, purpose, and potential takes us to a place of fulfillment and encouragement. Everything that has ever been achieved by the human race was envisioned (dreamed) first. The vehicle you drive and the media device on which you are reading this ezine began as an idea . . . someone s vision.

• What are your visions and dreams?
• What do you need to learn?
• Who would you like to become?
• What are you called to do and be . . . your purpose?
• Where do you want to make a difference?
• How would you like to be remembered?
•  What is your legacy?

Most people are not clear on the answers. As mentioned earlier, it takes effort and time to be diligent in seeking answers. Not everyone is committed to the process.

The factors of joy and vision merge to create a mindset. The Potential Grid outlines the state generated when these factors are merged.

The Potential Grid

Our State or Condition Produced	Joyful, Happy, Mindful in the Moment	Have a Future Vision
Negative and Draining Spirit Will not be attractive to others or opportunities	NO	NO
Status Quo   No inspiration, growth, or  hope from a future vision	YES	NO
Stressed These individuals  constantly talk about the  future without enjoying the moment of now.	NO	YES
Realizing Your Potential  and Living in the Now  Potential is achieved  without major stress or toil.	YES	YES

Where do you place yourself on The Potential Grid?
Is that where you would like to stay?

I encourage you to use this simple grid to consider what you need to do to realize your potential and help other see their potential.

Review the Action Steps to help you realize your potential.

Authors Special Note: The achievement of real joy in the moment a sustainable state is possible only when individuals consider their spiritual nature/source and seek the true meaning and purpose of their life. We will discuss this further in future articles and/or podcasts.