I've been thinking a lot about potential. What that means to me, what it means to my children. How we reach our potential and is potential something that keeps changing? Do we ever "reach" that potential and if we do, what then? Can the bar continue to be raised if we have it low enough to begin with, or should that bar be high, so high that it takes us a lifetime to reach the pinnacle? I discovered this quote from Michelangelo that speaks to this and I believe it is true for so many of us.
"The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it."
11 comments:
potential...just who is measuring it ? Can we "live up" to our potential ? Should we spend our life trying to reach it, and as you said, what if we were to ever reach it ? Then what ? Are we done ?
All I know is that today I feel the need to focus on what is, not what may be. What I have accomplished, where I am now, spending some time living rather than looking forward and seeing what potential I still have to reach.
That's how I feel today. But I may feel differently tomorrow, potentially. ;-)
Happy Monday Girl !
Got me thinking. (Again.)
Where is that bar of mine? Too high, too low – or just about right?
Interesting quote and beautiful thoughts about "potential".
The girl reaching for the top shelf reminded me of my 7yo son. He recently lost all interest in school and homework because he felt everything was too difficult. Now I have shown him some easier stuff, and he has that light back in his eyes. The light that says: I can do this.
But I am also too familar with the boredom of "been there done that". Maybe there is a middle-way :)
Awesome quote !! I may have to post that one sometime. I think we are constantly growing and changing so wouldn't our perception (viewpoint) of our potential change, the skys the limit we just can't see but so high until we reach that next summit.
thanks for bailing me out on the dashboard
I think we should not put a limit on what we can acheive.
Like the quote says -in our own minds we know what we can do and set this low for ourselves ( perhaps to feel that we have done something and we know in our heart we haven`t really ) and not get any real satisfaction from it and then there is the flip side - if we set it too high - then we can set ourselves up for failure and it can make you feel that you`re not good enough- which is a vicious circle if you go back to where you were or at a lower point than where you started .
So it`s finding a happy medium - be easy on yourself - just enough to eek out a fraction more and see how you are there - and then say to yourself i`m ready to do it again .
I can`t see myself ever lowering mine - i need to try new things and see what i can do - and cannot with acceptance for that.
i`ll be the one who`s dangling for dear life from mine as i want to see it infront of me - like the carrot and the donkey !!
your post gave me chills...
i've been thinking a lot about potential too..and yearning.
i think i'm guided by that striving feeling in my heart that is always pushing and prodding me forward.
when i listen to it (and not to other people's desires) i can tell if i'm reaching my 'bar' or not trying hard enough.
it's such a beautiful thing though..watching others and ourselves strive and grow.
thank you for this thought-provoking post today!
xo
Another fine post to get me thinking. I try to teach my nieces and nephews to be the best they can and reach high. Sometimes fear gets in the way....
Enjoy! xoxo
I really love the photo and the quote...I always know when I visit you, I'm going to leave with something heartfelt.
XO
Kath
I think we always have a potential to do better, just look at it as growth, we can always grow in many ways. If we stop growing life would be very boring.
This quote reminds me of another...
"Shoot for the moon and even if you miss it you'll land among the stars"
I think I will always set my bar high. Sometimes I'm disappointed but at least I know I tried.
What a great quote. So true, too.
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