Discover The Potential Inside You

“A beggar had been sitting by the side of a road for over 30 years. One day a stranger walked by. The beggar extended a old bow and mumbled “Do you have some change?”
“I have nothing to give you,” said the stranger. Then the stranger asked: “What’s that you are sitting on?”
“Nothing,” replied the beggar. “Just an old box. I have been sitting on it for as long as I can remember.”
“Ever looked inside?” asked the stranger.
“No,” said the beggar. “What’s the point? There’s nothing in there.”
“Have a look inside,” insisted the stranger.

The beggar managed to pry open the lid. With astonishment, disbelief, and elation, he saw that the box was filled with gold.

I am that stranger who has nothing to give you and who is telling you to look inside. Not inside any box, as in the parable, but somewhere even closer: inside yourself. (extracted from The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle)

1. Right inside you there is a potential of a best seller author.
2. Right inside you there is a potential of a high caliber scientist.
3.Right inside you there is a potential of a great musician.
4.Right inside you there is a potential of a billionaire.
5.Right inside you there is a potential to be ….(fill the blank).

Factors hindering you from realising the dormant potential in you.

I am sure after reading the above parable, you are really psyched and about to explode with power, motivation and optimism. You are feeling that you have to discover the full potential in you. You feel that you have been missing such a inspiring story to kickstart your successful life.

To be sincere this is not the first time you have felt like this. It is possible that in the past you were inspired by someone (a preacher, a motivational speaker or  after reading a book) and felt that it was the time to leave mediocrity and go for excellence. However, after  a few days or hours, the inspiration and motivation started to dwindle. You started feeling less motivated. You even started to doubt whether the motivation was real. Most likely, you completely lost the psyche and reverted to your old self. You went back to the bad old self who was just drifting through life without clear purpose or motivation.

My guess is that two limiting beliefs usurped your motivation. These two worst enemies of success caused you to start questioning everything including the real essence of life.

All successful people are aware of these enemies of success and they avoid them like plague. This is your day to name and shame these enemies after which you will discover the powerhouse inside you. These two enemies are status quo and Excuses.

1. Status Quo
Re-read the above parable and you will shocked to realise how the beggar responded when asked what he has been sitting on.

Stranger: “What’s that you are sitting on?”

Beggar: “Nothing,”  “Just an old box. I have been sitting on it for as long as I can remember.”

Stranger: “Ever looked inside?”

Beggar: “No,” “What’s the point? There’s nothing in there.”

The beggar had never bothered to look inside the box. This is laziness of the highest order. He viewed the box as a useless thing to be used as a stool or chair. Although inside the box there was gold. He was begging for coins which were extremely valueless compared to gold. For 30 years he was suffering although he was supposed to be wealthy.

Could you be sitting on the gold while begging for coins? Think twice.

Do you have to do things the way they have always been done? Evaluate your potential, you will be amazed what you are capable of achieving.

2.Excuses

Follow the excerpt below,

Stranger: “Have you ever looked inside the box?”
Beggar: “No,”. “What’s the point? There’s nothing in there.”

I pity the beggar for giving such a silly excuse. There was no point of looking inside the box because nothing useful was inside. How wrong was he?

Probably you have silly excuses such as:
-You know, I am not educated like him or her, so it is not possible to achieve much with my limited education.
- I do not know how stockmarket works. (For your information, nobody was born knowing how to do things, we all learn).
- In our community, women are not supposed to think like that (climb trees even success ladders!).
- I am not as talented as Churchill the comedian (Everyone is uniquely talented, there are no copy cats in the world, there was Nyambane, now it’s Churchill next will be you).

I used to have excuses. One of my excuses was that I am a poor writer. Even my English teacher in high school criticised me for poor writing skills.

It reached a point I got fed up and I had to overcome that limiting excuse. I gained courage to face my excuses and started this website (www.changeyourt.com) where I write an inspirational article every week. Despite its modest nature, this website is a source of motivation and help to many. I don’t think my writing skills are the best, but I am sure you will agree with me I did a honourable thing to face my excuses.

I encourage you to face your excuses and discover the potential lurking inside you.

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