Unlock Your Full Potential

Hello loves!

With the approach of summer and finishing up grad school, I've been thinking about the future a lot. Specifically, I've been thinking about what I want my future (and to a greater extent my life) to look like. I'm sure this isn't a surprise for the people who already know me; many friends and family members have witnessed my existential crises about what I'm doing with my life.

But as my time in academics comes to an end and is replaced with the "real world", I've realized that my future hasn't been the thing stressing me out. Truthfully, I'm worried about reaching my fullest potential and living the best life possible for me.

As children, we consume stories about heroes fulfilling their destinies, the chosen ones making prophecies come true, and the existence of "fate" and its role in our lives. Children see these characters, fictional or not, and are inspired to dream big and change the world. Some dreams are outgrown earlier than others (like becoming the Princess of the universe), while others are carried through to adulthood, like wanting to cure cancer or saving the environment.

As adults, however, I've noticed there seems to be more of an inclination to settle. There is no longer a belief in "destiny"; crazy, world-changing dreams are deemed unrealistic and viewed with skepticism. Whether it's a career or personal dream, it takes fewer setbacks in adulthood than it did in childhood to deter us. I've seen children try almost 100 times to score a goal, just to make it on their 101st try; the determination and persistence paid off.

On the flip side, I've talked to adults who tried 10 times and immediately gave up, unaware that it may just have taken the 11th or 12th time to achieve their dream.

I’m not sure why this happens. Maybe it’s a result of experiencing hardships, failures & disappointments. Perhaps the cliche is true, that we lose a sense of magic when we enter adulthood. Whatever the case, a lot of people as they get older, dream smaller & go after things that are easier to attain but aren’t necessarily what they want.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

You can achieve the dreams & life you want. It’s never too late. You can unlock your full potential.

As with everything, there is no one size fits all solution, but these steps are the ones I’ve noticed that have allowed me to unlock my full potential:

1)Find your strengths

2)Shift your mindset

3)Live in the today

4)Be intentional with your yes

5)Remember your why

In the next few weeks, I’ll be going more in-depth into each of these steps like what they mean, how I've incorporated them in my own life, and why they matter in reaching your full potential.

I think everyone is given their dreams and aspirations for a reason, no matter how small or big they may seem. It will take work to make them come true, and it won't happen overnight, but the best things are always the result of time, care, and perseverance. The potential to fulfilling your dreams and living the life you want has always been there- it's just a matter of accessing it.

Love y'all!