As human beings, we have unlimited potential and imagination. The worst thing you can do is be a conformist and buy into conformity. It’s the worst possible thing. It’s better to be outrageous. It’s better to hang out with the sages, the people open to possibilities, even the psychotics. You never know where you’ll find the geniuses of our society. ~ Deepak Chopra
The thrill I feel when I have accomplished something lingers for days. I love the taste of victory and I am sure that you have the same feelings too. If you read my daily posts, you would have noticed that my faith is fully intertwined with who I am, plus everything I do and say is influenced by that conviction and the Holy Scriptures. With that said, I would like to add value to your life today by using one of the stories from the scriptures about the life of a prominent man. I love this story. It is the life of Joseph who on record was the 11th son of Jacob who was later named Israel. The full story can be read from the Book of Genesis Chapters 37 – 48. I thought that this story tied in well with our own desire to reach our potential. However, the only difference with most of us currently is that we cannot fathom the idea that we have unlimited potential – when in fact we do. Here is Joseph’s story in a nutshell:
Jacob had 12 children and the eleventh one was Joseph. There was something interesting about Joseph, he had a thing for big and lofty dreams. Even his father and brothers rebuked him for the things that he was trying to insinuate. But, this did not deter Joseph from dreaming. He could not explain his dreams fully, but he had in him unlimited potential. Because of the envy and disdain that Joseph’s brothers had developed towards him, they had him sold to some Ishmaelites and he ended up in the land of Egypt. Now back in those days, people could sell a person as a slave and Joseph found himself in the hands of one of the prominent men in Egypt. As the story continues to unfold Joseph is thrown into prison, then removed and was eventually placed in the position where he was next in command to the Pharaoh. How amazing was that! You may not be aware of this story or don’t care to know much about it, but I mentioned it here to prove the point about our human potential. If you are like me, you might have asked: What did this man possess that made him rise from absolute failure to becoming a ruler? What propelled this man to where he achieved the unthinkable? The answer is simple, Joseph had unlimited potential that provided him with the power to rise. His brothers had forgotten all about him, but here he was laying the foundation because of a dream. I imagine that Joseph held on to his dreams that he had shared with his fellow brethren. He must have replayed them over and over in his mind, wondering what could they mean. Here is one of his dreams:
Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.” ~ Genesis 37:9
How amazing was that dream! He predicted that his entire family would be bowing down to him. When his family heard this, his father rebuked him because he interpreted the dream to mean they would all bow down to him. I am sure that the same would not have happened to me if I had the guts to tell my family a dream like that. First of all, they wouldn’t even listen. However, in Joseph’s case, he got the chance to share. Being a young lad he was so eager to share his lofty ideas. And guess what? His dreams became a reality. He displayed what unlimited potential can do in a person’s life. No matter who you are today, there is always an opportunity to get better. Your potential is directly related to your ability to grow. Like Joseph, we may have a dream, but is that dream lofty enough to the point where those closest to you think you are crazy? Do you believe deep in your heart that you have unlimited potential? Are you willing to challenge yourself to start unleashing your potential? We need to find interesting answers to these questions in our quest to uncover what we can really achieve. Our potential simply says to us that if we don’t know how to do something, it is our opportunity to start doing something (summarized thoughts from my friend Roddy Galbraith from the John Maxwell Group). Potential is all about growth and the more we recognize this link we begin to align our purpose. If you and I want to discover our unlimited potential, then tap into the positive energy of the world around you. Build a repertoire of thought provoking questions that will challenge you to think differently. Because “questions provide the key to unlocking unlimited potential.” ~ Tony Robbins
You and I can take our dreams and desires to the next level. It only takes the conscious effort to start doing something. If a person prays for courage, does God just give him/her courage? No, but God creates the opportunity to develop the courage. This is what I’ve come to know, we get to live out our unlimited potential because the opportunities are provided to create the things you and I desire.
Believe, live, and be open to your unlimited potential!
#Keep Doing Your Best Work!
RHOY
TheWordoftheDay 