How to have the courage to pursue your greatest potential

As we reach the halfway point in 2024, it’s the perfect time to take a closer look at your life. Assess where you are in terms of the goals you set, the dreams you have, and the intentions you want to achieve in this season of your life.

Most people get excited when they talk about their goals and the grand visions they have for their lives. At the same time, most people avoid assessing their lives and taking responsibility for their decisions and the direction their lives have taken.

During this period of my life I find myself extremely conflicted. I am making extraordinary progress in my life and achieving my goals; However, I have been challenged in so many ways this year to push my limits and honor the seed of my potential.

I’m writing this for anyone who feels like they want to get more out of life, but you have no idea how to achieve that. It’s time to stop playing small and dare to live a bigger life!

1. You must acknowledge your dissatisfaction

While many people will tell you that dissatisfaction is a bad thing, I want to challenge that assumption. Dissatisfaction is not a sign that something is wrong with your life. On the contrary, dissatisfaction is a divine inspiration and invitation to a new dimension of life.

Too many people are discouraged by dissatisfaction. Personally, I have decided to let dissatisfaction lead me to the lake that I know beckons me. It’s not enough to be dissatisfied with your life.

At some point you have to acknowledge the dissatisfaction. Why is this so important? When you acknowledge your dissatisfaction with your life, you become aware of what is not working in your life and what needs to change.

Dissatisfaction is an emotion, but it is not permanent. That is why you are always in the driver’s seat of all changes in your life. Dissatisfaction is a soul alarm that warns you that something is broken in your life and needs your attention.

What you are willing to acknowledge, you can ultimately change.

2. You must be willing to address the source of your dissatisfaction

It’s one thing to admit that you’re dissatisfied with your life. On the other hand, it takes a lot of courage and responsibility to address the source of dissatisfaction in your life.

For me, much of the dissatisfaction in my life was rooted in self-limiting beliefs and perceptions. In other words, it was feelings of unworthiness, feelings of not being good enough, and feelings of insignificance that created dissatisfaction in my life.

We often lie to ourselves about our dissatisfaction and unhappiness. Deep down we know exactly what the source of our dissatisfaction is. Any place you don’t want to explore within yourself will always be a place of slavery.

Your denial will not quell the truth that is eating away at your soul. At some point you have to be willing to address self-limiting beliefs and perceptions, psychological constructs and stories that do not support who you were born to be.

You never get further than what you are willing to tackle.

“Your work will fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you think is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” -Steve Jobs

3. You have to decide that you want more in your life

After you’ve spent enough time thinking about the things that limit your life, you need to take it one step further and decide that you want more in your life.

While the quest to discover what is broken in our lives can take many paths, the reality is that all paths lead us to the conclusion that we want more in our lives and that we will remain unfulfilled without pursuing more.

Ultimately, every person must come to the non-negotiable decision that they want more in their lives. This is one of the most powerful decisions we can ever make. The moment a decision is made, your fate is forever affected.

As a highly respected thought leader, my intention is always to inspire people to make strong decisions. Why is that? Empowered decisions are a catalyst for freedom and a fulfilling life. There is nothing more miserable than being stuck and stagnant. You should never feel guilty for wanting to grow and want more in your life. More is not about greed and materialism.

More than twenty years ago I discovered that it is more about growth, meaning and fulfillment. I have yet to meet one person who doesn’t want to live a more fulfilling life.

Our fulfillment does not come from the accumulation of things. Our fulfillment comes from awakening to the treasures within us.

As a human resources specialist, I have enabled leaders around the world to unlock their greatest potential. However, before you can ever unlock your potential, you must first recognize your potential.

To recognize your potential, you need to have a clear vision for your life. As you pursue your vision, you begin to unlock your potential and discover capabilities and resources you never knew you possessed.

If you really want to experience life at its best, I challenge you to stop chasing titles, accolades and wealth. Instead, I challenge you to live your life in pursuit of your greatest potential.

When I courageously pursued my potential, I gained access to new ways of thinking, new ways of living, and limitless possibilities. It’s a travesty to die with treasures inside you that were never discovered, solutions that were never accessed, and ideas that could have radically changed the world.

When you pursue your potential, there are no regrets. Pursuing your potential is how you become who you were born to be.