Maximizing Your Potential!

“You can do or be whatever you want in your own life. Nothing can stop you, except your own fears. Don’t blame anyone else… you have the power to make the decision. Just do it.”
- – Nola Diamantopoulos, Greek-Australian Creative Workshop Tutor

That is saying a mouthful. Especially with the internet. I constantly see artist who are doing their art and getting it out on the internet, the only thing that stops them is their own fear of what others may think, say or do, that holds them back.

Remove the shackles from around your leg and get out there and do the things you always dreamed of as a child.

You may not make a million dollars but a guarantee you, you will be a hundred, perhaps a thousand times happier than you are doing the same old, same old, all of your life!

“However much I am at the mercy of the world, I never let myself get lost by brooding over it’s misery. I hold firmly to the thought that each one of us can do a little to bring some portion of that misery to an end.”
- – Albert Schweitzer, 1875-1965 French Philosopher and Physician

There is a lot of truth in the above statement.

I realize that I can not eradicate all the worlds problems and suffering by thinking them right. I must admit, there is a part of me that tried when I was a little girl of 8 nor 9. I was very idealistic.

I have since learned that it is better to do one small thing every day to make the world a better place. It truly is easy to do that, whether it is have a party at my house and laughing with my friends or making my garden beautiful and insuring that all the plants are happy.

It might be making a cake for a friend or volunteering to run the church fundraiser just this once. Making a call to a someone you haven’t spoken with for a few years or sending a note card.

Whatever it is, do something every day, no matter how small to make this world a better place. I KNOW you will be glad you did.

“There is not enough darkness in the world to extinguish the light of one small candle.”
- – Spanish Proverb

All to often we seem to think of ourselves as small and insignificant, when nothing could be farther from the truth.

All it takes is the decision to burn brightly, no matter what, and watch what happens.

I just watched an extremely moving video of a female dancer who had lost her arm. She became despondent. Then someone told her about a school for youth that needed a teacher. She started to teach but realized that she still needed to dance so she trained herself to dance with one arm, which was extremely difficult.

Then, she heard of a young man who had lost a leg and went through the same despondency she had experienced. She contacted him and said she could help him. His attitude was, ‘What the heck, I’ve got nothing better to do.’

So they started to work and after many, many months she was able to teach him to dance. They went on to win a major contest is Asia and there was hardly a dry eye in the house.

That one small candle, that was that wonderful woman, saved her own life and the life of the man who learned to be her partner and my guess is they created quite an impact on the audience they mesmerized!

“I don’t think of myself as a poor, deprived ghetto girl who made good. I think of myself as somebody who from an early age knew I was responsible for myself, and I had to make good.”
– Oprah Winfrey, b. 1954
American Television Personality

Here is someone who obviously was always shooting for the stars and still is.

May people wonder what makes Oprah so successful, or her contemporary, Martha Stewart. I would say that the above quote says it all. Both of these women have decided that they had to ‘make good’ and have gone out there and done it.

One thing that is truly amazing in Martha’s case, is that she obviously has not always had it easy, as witnessed by her recent stint in jail. In spite of that, she persevered and some would say, rose like a phoenix from the ashes of prison to soar even higher.

My hat is off to these to amazing women for all they have accomplished in their lives.

“I believe we are solely responsible for poor choices, and we have to accept the consequences of every deed, word and thought throughout our lifetime.”
– Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, b. 1926
Swiss-Born American Psychiatrist

Well, she has that right. When we are in our heads trying to make a decision as to which way to go, there is no one else in there rattling around.

Of course, many of our choices are shaped by experiences in our past or the advise we may have been given by those we looked up to, or down to as the case may be.

But, ultimately, we are responsible for the choices we make. As such, we need to be willing to step outside ourselves and review how this decision will affect us, our family, our friends, our community, the plants and animals we share our space with.

So, next time you are at a cross road, look at how each fork will affect the areas listed above and take the one that is best for the most number of areas listed above.

I guarantee you, you’ll be glad you did.