The Cost of Unfulfilled Potential.

I often write and speak about how important it is to do those things in life that are burning in our hearts. I have always done this, and I can’t imagine living any other way. I’ve done what I’m called to do, lived where I wanted to live and viewed life as a true adventure. I will continue to live that way, because my passion for life compels me to. There is something else that compels me to live that way also.

I see so many people who don’t pursue their dreams. They just sort of go through life, settling for whatever life hands them, as if they can’t do anything about that. Of course, we can’t change certain realities of life, but we always have choices regarding our attitude and behavior.

What I’m talking about here is when people just stay where they are in life, even if they aren’t happy with it. Maybe someone has a burning desire to live in a certain location, or have a particular career, but instead they simply remain in the status quo of their life. So, life passes this person by, and they never “go for it”. They never even have a chance for their dreams to come true, because they don’t take the risk and embark on the journey toward their vision.

This unfulfilled potential applies not only to someone who doesn’t pursue their dreams, but also to someone who is living with some negative condition in their life, yet does little or nothing to improve it. Let’s say a person is overweight, and that they don’t feel good physically because of that. In addition, they don’t feel good about themselves, because or the way they look in the mirror, or the size of clothes they wear, or whatever implication it may be. If such a person goes into denial of their situation and how they truly feel about it, no improvement will be made. Here is a person who would like to improve, but doesn’t. This person has the potential to be trim and fit, but that is not the reality. So again, there is unfulfilled potential.

The cost of unfulfilled potential is that someone is going through their life without doing what they were put here to do. The enlightened person understands that they must be what they can be. In other words, I must strive to be all that is possible for me to be. If I don’t do that, then not only do I have unfulfilled potential, I am unfulfilled potential. This life is so short and so precious. We are all here for some purpose as unique as we are. The cost of this unfulfilled potential is so high that it defies description. The best way I can put it is that we miss out on our reason for being here. To me, that’s an absolutely staggering revelation. I hope it is for you also.

I live my life as fully as I can because I believe that’s the most positive, meaningful way I can live it. Moreover, I live my life as fully as I can because I want to be sure I don’t get to the end of it with unfulfilled potential. That thought is a tremendous motivator for me. I want to make sure I don’t end up in that situation. I suggest to you that if there is unfulfilled potential in your life, do something to begin fulfilling it now!

Today I am grateful to understand the high cost of unfulfilled potential.