Potential is a Double Edged Sword

Focusing on Potential Forces You to Focus on the Negative

Potential is a word often used to lift a person’s spirits. We typically use this word when we want to compliment someone’s capacity to do great things. Praising a person’s potential can be seen as saying, “you have not done anything great yet.” Focusing on what a person could do is a distraction to the things they have already done. It is counterproductive for people to not feel acknowledged for the tasks they have already completed. Maybe you’re the type of person who loves to point out the potential you see in others. You might find that you’re accidentally setting up expectations on them.

Expectation Creates Fear of Failure

I have struggled my whole life with expectations from myself, my family, even my peers. These expectations were the basis for the potential I felt I had to achieve. It took me twenty years to discover that my “potential” was damaging to my self-worth. Viewing life through the lens of success or failure limits you to believe that every situation has a good or bad outcome. But life always provides an opportunity to learn something new — and the truth is, failing until you achieve success, is the process of learning. Every time you fail, the bar for success moves closer.

Free Yourself From the Future

The one thing we know for sure is that life is consistently inconsistent. Give yourself a break from considering your future self. It is human nature to complete something and then begin thinking about the next task at hand. This endless cycle makes it all the more crucial to sit back and focus on the present. The next time you are feeling down about your wasted potential, I want you to consider this — do you have the potential to be happier? Growing out of your fear of failure is the first step to being happy with where you’re at in life. Learn to take pride in the work you do. If you are giving your best effort, you’re already a success.