It couldn't escape...The barriers holding it in were firmly locked, secure, seemingly impregnable. It waited though, sometimes patient, and at other times like a coiled beast preparing to pounce...But the constraints held firm, the way forward utterly blocked. It wouldn't take much for it to slip its bonds, for it to issue-forth upon the world stalking its prey, the ultimate goal, and yet it was held, firmly in check...Or was it?
My flight landed in Launceston, Tasmania last night. It's the island-State of Australia being the only State not actually attached to the mainland.
I'm here to see my brother who will be attending his graduation ceremony at the university. He has completed his nautical engineering degree and I wanted to represent the family at the ceremony as the rest cannot due to being disbursed all over the world.
So, here I am...I'm not unhappy about it though as I haven't seen this brother for years and am glad to do so and on such a momentous occasion.
You see, he's been very busy working on this degree over the several years it takes to gain and simply didn't have the time, or financial ability, to fly around visiting people...He was too busy unlocking his potential. Hmm, what is this potential I speak of?
It's potential my first paragraph refers to actually. You were probably wondering how that fitted in right?
We all have it within us, just waiting for us to call on it but for many it's locked away, untapped and unused - Left dormant to waste away like last week's Chinese food in the back of the refrigerator.
But it doesn't need to be. It's there within us all and we can all reach it, release it and use it to our own ends. Many people have done so and many people have achieved amazing results.
I think many don't tap into it as they feel comfortable in the position, or reality, they currently hold - It's often the fear of failure that holds one back...Yes, that old chestnut. But potential resides there in us all and simply waits for the individual to find the right attitude, ownership, determination, need and responsibility to tap into it.
My brother has done so and I'm proud of his effort. It has not been easy financially or emotionally as he left his wife home to embark on this journey; He really had no choice after being made redundant at his previous job as an electrical engineer. There was no option other than passing too, which he did with a Credit. Good enough.
I'm not sure how my brother will feel as he puts on that stupid gown and hat thing; I'll never know as I'm not a university graduate however I'm pretty sure he'll be pleased, and that's how it should be.
I'm not one to say things like, "you can be or do anything you want to be or do," because that's just not true...I can't be the President of the United States for instance, or Pinocchio or a unicorn...I'm a realist and don't see any point in building people up for failure. But what I can do...What we all can do is take the steps to unlock our potential, to find it within to be our best, do our best and to constantly seek that state of being...In that way we are better placed to walk the road that leads us to our goals. (If one has them of course.)
Anyway, I'm off to watch my brother walk on stage in a dress and a stupid hat and will beam with pride when he does. Sure, he's moved on to a job in his field, a great salary and the rest of his life, but I know that the ability, and willingness, to tap into his potential will stay with him...That kind of awesome always does.
I'd be keen to know if any of you nutbags (said with love) had had experiences when you've had to dig deep, to unlock that potential lying dormant within...Please comment.
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default
