Unleash the Potential of Your Life

Top 3 Factors Determining Your Fullest Potential Discovery

Everyone is an unique being with full potential to be great. How do you view your life? Have you fully discovered your talents and potential that make you who you are today? Are you feeling that there's more to what you're doing with your life right now and right here on earth? Are you still on a quest for your hidden potential? If the above questions are mind-provoking to you, this article is specially written for you.

Abraham Maslow, a renowned humanist psychologist, stated in his ever famous Maslow's hierarchy of needs (1943), that people have an inborn desire to self-actualize. In simple words, to reach self-actualization means to be all that a person can be, achieving his or her full potential in life. However, there are a few prerequisites that need to be fulfilled before a person can proceed towards the ultimate goal of self-actualization, such as physiological needs, safety, love, and self esteem. Adopting Maslow's hierarchy of needs into our 21st century world, fulfilling the first to fourth needs is not a big deal at all for the majority of common people. Those who eventually climb up to the top of Maslow's hierarchy, are indeed great people with noteworthy triumph of human potential.

Throughout the years, I observed friends and families around me. There are some calibre and highly talented people whom I know. As they grow up into adulthood, they do not live up to their fullest potential. This group of individuals often express their frustration with lives and feel trapped by a dozen of excuses leading to what they are today. On the contrary, there are some inspiring people who are able to look within themselves for their gifts and talents and reach their full potential. They discover their calling, pursuing their personal growth tirelessly and most of all, they live happy and meaningful lives, astounding both themselves and people around them. What differentiate the inspiring group of great people from the former group? Why is that some remain as ordinary as OKAY in their lifetime while some shine brighter and leave behind incredible legacies?

Based on my personal observation, I have identified the top 3 factors determining an individual's fullest potential discovery. These factors are worth considering for your full discovery and self-actualization.

1. Self-attitude

The ultimate driving force for the fullest potential discovery comes from self. The attitude own by oneself is the key factor. The deep desire to learn more and achieve greater is such a vital sense that comes from within oneself. Such extraordinary person may find that he or she is not satisfied merely at living a stable life which is always defined by having a good career, stable income, big house or houses, a lovely family and so on. So often, complacency becomes an inhibitor slowing down a person from growing his or her potential. For example, a person who receives professional music training since young may get too complacent to develop the music passion deeper. In comparison, another person who picks up music later in his adulthood may excel his passion in music at greater height.

As I am writing this article, I am fascinated by a friend, who juggles with her work commitment, the unending house chores, and having to coach her young kids academically due to the pandemic school lockdown, yet still able to develop her talent in music. Despite her hectic day-to-day struggles as a mother, she took 3 months to produce a beautiful video featuring her musical performance using various kind of musical instruments such as piano, violin, cello, erhu, and guzheng. Her passion in music is life-giving to her soul that she presses on to learn despite she started her music training in her 30s'.

The positive altitudes of self-directed learning, independent, diligent and being humble are marks of those who seek to discover and develop their God-given talents and gifts. All of us are works in progress. We are called to grasp hold of our gifts and talents and shine brighter, but not dismissing our potential by going through the motion of life.

All of us are works in progress. We are called to grasp hold of our gifts and talents and shine brighter, but not dismissing our potential by going through the motion of life.

2. People around you

Are your spouse, friends, family members or employers imparting positive influence for you to grow your fullest potential? This is one key factor in determining if you are being nurtured for higher life mission. I know a few individuals in my circle of friends and families, who are calibre and potential great leaders, yet are not able to shine as they should be due to spouses and social circles. Sadly, they are showing signs of regression in their general well-being and skill sets.

The surrounding people has a huge influence in your potential discovery. It is rightly so that as iron sharpens iron, so a person sharpens another (Proverbs 27:17). The influence from your closest relationships tends to affect the course of your life either positively or negatively. Keeping with good company creates spaces and possibilities for your personal growth whereas keeping with bad company may hold you back from achieving greater goals in life.

The surrounding people has a huge influence in your potential discovery. It is rightly so that as iron sharpens iron, so a person sharpens another (Proverbs 27:17).

I am always thankful for my supportive spouse and a few significant mentors in my life, who affirmed me of my gifts and talents. Along the years, the dream of flourishing my gifts and talents has somehow been buried into life busyness. However, it is never too late to start fulfilling the dream. The reality of life can be draining, but I am excited to explore and develop my potential skill sets (which I am doing now for my writing skill). It is an act of faithfulness by doing exactly what we are gifted with.

3. Motivation

Reading the story of numerous successful profiles, they share one common factor behind the quest for their full potential, which is motivation. A turning point in life can turn out to be a motivation for unimaginable favourable outcome.

I know a good friend, after being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, has found her great motivation to live a healthy lifestyle than before. She picks up nutrition and healthy diet program in order to cure her body from the autoimmune allergy reactions. On top of that, she searched for the right workout plan that suits her needs. After few years of trial and error, she is now a licensed Zumba coach. An illness crisis has become a motivation for her to achieve more than she can ever be today.

Remember, every great work is meant to be a by-product of life hardship and challenges.

If you're out of job right now, please take this crisis as the motivation to explore your full potential. You may start to learn a new skill to increase your value in the job market. Remember, every great work is meant to be a by-product of life hardship and challenges. In the midst of life hardship and challenges, there lies the motivation for breaking down any barriers for becoming the best of you.

Conclusion

In the ancient Greek concept, the word eudaimonia means a state in which you are achieving your full human potential. Everyone is uniquely bestowed with potential. It is a matter of time for some people to reach their eudaimonia. As discussed above, the top 3 factors can act as the springboard for you to reach greater height. May you unlock the 3 keys to set off this journey of unleashing your fullest potential. The discovery of your fullest potential can tremendously expand a new horizon for your life, giving you a whole new meaning of life.