Happy New Years!  It wasn’t long ago really that everyone was fretting over the Y2K scare and here we are nearly a decade later - 2009.  And just as was done on Christmas , today’s discussion will go a bit of a different direction.

The previous blog entry  was a discussion about New Year’s resolutions - perhaps you made one, perhaps not.  Regardless of that decision, we are all in the same boat - 2009 awaits us with the beauty of the potential a new year holds (provided you are future-oriented, which not all cultures are). 

But before we go charging full steam ahead, its important to think about this thing called potential.

Webster’s dictionary wants to define potential as “existing in possibility : capable of development into actuality.”  And this is exactly the key, potential has possibility but it is not a guarantee.  While it can develop into actuality, potential is a fragile thing that can be mishandled.

So as we enter into 2009, there is a great deal of potential for the world, for the country you call home, for the family and friends you hold dear to you, and certainly potential for you.

How will you try to realize that potential?  You must first “realize” (not trying to make a “religious” push here - just being philosophically creative).  To put it simply, a professor of mine once said, “We look to the past to understand the present to plan for the future.”

If you want to realize potential moving forward, and granted there are obstacles out of our control that will limit it to a degree, you must understand where you have come from, how that has shaped who you are today, and in that understanding of yourself, use your strengths, talents, skills, and experiences to cultivate the potential that lies ahead.

So pause for a moment and reflect. . .what are the experiences, people, personal attributes, etc. that have shaped who you are to this day?

Regardless of religious/philosophical alignment, here are a few wise reflective quotes to help kick-start you along your way:

Hui-neng: Look within!… The secret is inside you.

William Shakespeare: Men should be what they seem.

William L Shirer: Most true happiness comes from one’s inner life, from the disposition of the mind and soul. Admittedly, a good inner life is difficult to achieve, especially in these trying times. It takes reflection and contemplation and self-discipline.

Norman Vincent Peale: One of the greatest moments in anybody’s developing experience is when he no longer tries to hide from himself but determines to get acquainted with himself as he really is.

Sarah Ban Breathnach: Only when the clamor of the outside world is silenced will you be able to hear the deeper vibration. Listen carefully.

Charles Dickens: Reflect upon your present blessings - of which every man has many - no on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.

Joseph Chilton Pearce: Seeing within changes one’s outer vision.

Unknown Author: Seeing yourself as you want to be is the key to personal growth.

Unknown Author: Success is not measured by what one brings, but rather by what one leaves.

Creole proverb: Tell me who you love, and I’ll tell you who you are.

And of course, be sure to take time to think about who you are now, the things that make you unique, your likes, dislikes, strengths, etc.  It might even be worth writing them down just to remind yourself that which makes you uniquely you!

Finally, think about where your life is going - perhaps its right on track, perhaps you need to rechart your map a bit. Whatever the case, knowing where you’ve come from and what has shaped you and knowing who you are now, think about what is next. . .

Here are just a few more quotes to give you another boost:

Anne Frank:Everyone has inside himself a piece of good news! The good news is that you really don’t know how great you can be, how much you can love, what you can accomplish, and what your potential is!

 Paul De Rapin:Our strength often increases in proportion to the obstacles imposed upon it.

 Will Schultz: Joy comes from using your potential.

 Roger Williams: The greatest crime in the world is not developing your potential. When you do what you do best, you are helping not only yourself, but the world.

 Marilyn Ferguson:Your past is not your potential. In any hour you can choose to liberate the future.

 James T. Mccay: No matter what the level of your ability, you have more potential than you can ever develop in a lifetime.

 Anthony Robbins: Questions provide the key to unlocking our unlimited potential.

 Eddie Robinson: The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential… these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.

 Napoleon Hill: Knowledge is only potential power.

 Zig Ziglar:It’s not what you’ve got, it’s what you use that makes a difference.

 And just in case you can’t get away to a place of reflection, here’s a free ticket in the spirit of New Year’s:

 As you move into 2009, keep these thoughts of potential active, revisit them from time to time, and forge ahead, because the upcoming year holds a great deal of potential.

 May it be your best year yet!

-  IgniteTheMind