When we are children, we are taught to dream big. When we proudly announce that we are going to be an archaeologist, or a lawyer, or a mum, or a world famous actor/singer/artist/writer... no one tells us we are wrong. 

So at what point did we start to take on the story that says we can't be those things?

The thing is, as children, we understood the gift of potential. We understood that we are powerful manifestors, who can co-create with the universe whatever reality we desire. We understood that in order to have a big life, we had to dream big first.

When did you stop dreaming?

I recall many times as a child, probably from around the age of 8 or 9, being told that my dreams were too big. Or not big enough. They weren't for me. While none of that "advice" was intended to make me feel like I wasn't worthy of my dreams, the stories I took and carried forward with me go a little like this:

You can't be what you want to be because you're supposed to do something different.

You're too much for the life you want to have.

You're not enough for the life you desire.

You will let down people you care about if you don't fulfill your potential.

Ooof. That last one is the kicker for me. I have spent literally an entire lifetime doing everything I can to avoid letting people down. It has turned me into a people pleaser of the highest order, and has meant that I have avoided playing big for myself, and played it safe for others.

Because when we turn away from our own potential, and we allow the voices of others to turn into the stories we tell ourselves about who we are, what we are worthy of, and how we can engage with the world, we are putting ourselves last in our priority list.

We tell ourselves we are not good enough, not worthy, not capable of changing, not important enough to be prioritised... all of the stories that allow us to put others first and to keep pushing down that voice inside us that is asking us for more.

The thing with potential, though, is that it is actually the same for everyone. We all have the potential to be something bigger than we are, we all have the potential to live a life we love, we all have the potential to let ourselves down, and we all have the potential to stay small and live a life unfulfilled. 

The challenge is to know all of that, and to choose to go after what we want anyway.

Potential is a gift. It is an opportunity to take the infinite possibility that is inherently ours as spiritual beings, and bring it forth into our human experience in whatever way feels good for us. There is no right or wrong way to go out into the world, there is only your way. 

We always get to choose the stories that we tell ourselves and we get to choose how we engage with our own potential.

The trouble with potential is that we have to choose to do something with it. Doing nothing is a choice, but so is engaging with it and seeing what else is possible.

Making a choice to accept our own potential, and to start exploring what that looks and feels like, can be a difficult and lonely journey, especially for those of us who have spent most of our lives allowing the opinions and expectations of others define how we see our own potential.

If you're ready to explore your potential, and want help getting started, jump on a call with us and let's explore together.