My Full Potential?    

        I've always found myself determined to reach my full potential. How do we know what our full potential is? In my opinion, it's like climbing stairs until your legs start to buckle, you know, what seems like a slight tingle, then a slow, creeping pain climbing it's own stairs on your legs. This is then followed by a sharp pain hitting the back of the calves until the dreaded knees screams out in agony and crumples.  While all this is happening, your eyes are focused on what is at the top of the stairs. Is it a door, a gate, a brick wall? Who knows, but that's your destination. 

       While you're maintaining a determination to reach upwards, obstacles such as your failing legs hinder you from progress. You decide to fight through the pain - from the lowest and moderate to the highest and most severe.  The strength you use to fight is what determines the level of your potential.  On your way up the stairs, you could encounter strangers telling you 'no go this way' or saying things like 'turn back'. Then there are families and friends who thinks you should stop here or go there or just give up because. Fighting your way through these can be quite challenging because at some point, you may care deeply about some of these individuals or experience different kinds of emotions such as low self-esteem, anger, loneliness, depression, isolation and loss of faith. You fight through this and continue to climb those stairs then there's a steep step, your legs can't quite lift high enough nor do you have any support to pull or push you. You're determined but this is the limit. This is the end of the line for you. This is your floor.  This is your full potential, for now.  

        Reaching your full potential, isn't as simple though (if you call what I've just described as simple), because there is always opportunities for growth along the way to push you further.  Essentially, we can deduce that we may never know our full potential and the phrase is a lie. For example, we managed through state schools, graduated and think that's it, I can't afford college or University so I've reached my limit.  What about sponsors, grants, loans? These are opportunities.  Another example is when you've excelled in a particular field and you think that's it, there's nothing more for me to do. There's always something more. More to learn and more room to grow. 

        

        Now, I am not determined to reach my full potential but I'm determined to continue to grow!