Potential

My life is no different than any of yours. I wake up every morning to go through same routines. I eat the same food as you do, and I associate with many of the same people as well.

We are among the lucky ones of this world for many reasons, though. We have loving families, we have a warm shelter over our heads, and we are receiving an education. This may not seem like much, but if you think of the 1 billion people in China, or the children in the Middle East who are on a war front, or children in Africa who wonder each day if they will find something, anything to eat, then you start to appreciate what you've got a little more.

However, our potential is not limited to our circumstances. Of course, if you have never seen, or even know what a piano or a cello is, you aren't going to be a Mozart at it the moment you pick one up. That's the point of potential. It takes work and practice, and sometimes, the opportunity just never presents itself to start learning an instrument, for example. Potential's definition is: capable, or able of becoming; not: master at being.

Knowing this, we can strive to pursue any path to discover our potential. Sometimes, it's easy for us to see that our potential may not lie down a certain pathway. But sometimes, we can't be the judge for ourselves. For example, when I was still taking piano lessons, I was always asking my mom to let me quit. I would moan and pout and try to practice as little as possible, but my mom saw something I could have never seen as a nine-year old. She saw my potential. She knew that I couldn't just quit because she saw that I excelled in that area. Luckily, I never did quit, and I am so grateful for that, because look what has happened since:

One thing we need to understand about potential, is that it never comes quickly. It doesn't happen overnight, but it happens with years of work and practice. Potential is a goal, not a hole. (Haha I just made that up!) What I mean by that is, you work for goals, and you work to dig holes. But when you look back on your work, goals get you places in life, and holes just get you stuck. Your potential will never get you stuck in life, (unless you use it for illegal practices) but will always help you wherever you go, and even impress people along the way, saying, "Wow! Look at how much effort went into his/her talent."

However, it isn't just about us. We need to look out for those around us as well, because they have potential too. Believe it or not, those African kids I mentioned earlier have potential as well. They may not have your opportunities, or your resources, but they won't have the same potential as you, either. Maybe their potential is to be a leader, and they gain those traits throughout life. Maybe their potential is to look out for others, and they learn to do so by caring for their family and friends. But, like I said, you can't achieve your potential by yourself. Would I have ever come to my skill level in piano had it not been for my mom? No, in fact, I probably would have quit. We need to be that person in someone else's life who can see something in them that they may not be able to see. We need to be that person who says, "Come on, don't give up! Keep pushing through, because when you look back, you will surprise yourself at how far you've come."

On a last note, it's fun to reach for your potential once you've found it! Because along the way, you can show people how far you've come, because talents like yours are not meant to be only for you. Your talents can bless and help and inspire others to find their potential and grow their talents as well.

The goal I have been striving towards since last summer (2012) has finally been met, which was to release an EP on iTunes, and I am very proud of myself! If you haven't seen or heard, it would please me very much if you did. Thank you for reading my blog yet again, and have a wonderful day!