How to unleash your full potentials.

You must have come across this title a number of times on the internet. The difference between what you have always read and what I would share with you today is practicability.

But first, let's start with a story.

I won't bore you with too much details on this one but you need to hear this story at least once more, for the sake of our discussion today.

Oprah Winfrey was born in Mississippi, America.

In 2018, Mississippi was the 2nd poorest state in America, that's to give you an idea of how poor it would have been in 1954 when Oprah was born.

Under the guidance of her grandmother, Oprah was able to read at the age of 2 and half. On the 1st day of kindergarten, Oprah wrote her teacher stating why she believes she deserves to be in the first grade and not kindergarten. And after that year, she was promoted to the third grade. By 19, she started working in a TV show, from there she was moved to another TV station. 7 years down the line, her ratings has become so good that she gained the attention of a manager of another more prominent TV station and engrafting her into his team.

Oprah was known to surpass her competition by being the most watched day TV show in America at this time.

Oprah is a correct description of someone that has let herself go and unleash her potentials. She is not done yet, she is still at it.

One of my goals on this platform is to help you unleash your full potentials.

Uhmmm, too much grammar, let's break it down.

Unleash: to free from or as if from a leash; let loose; let run without hindrance or restrictions.

Potential: latent ability and capacity if brought to full use can bring great usefulness or become something of great value.

That said, let's now talk about 4 ways to unleash your potentials.

• Don't leave your comfort zone, expand it.

I dedicated a whole post to this. (Check it out here.)

• Get an accountability partner.

Bob Proctor said accountability is the glue that ties commitment to result.

In your journey to becoming all that you are meant to be, having a friend/mentor/confidant is very essential. Someone to cheer you up when you are doing great and someone to encourage you to do better if you are lagging behind. The journey to success can be lonely, you need at least one person to trust with your process and progress, because this person would be able to see when you are deviating from the original plan and would guide you back to the right path. This is the person you would celebrate the little wins with, the wins you can't share with the world yet.

This person isn't like any other friend, nah! This one is special. He/she keeps you grounded. Keeps you going. Someone you can trust and respect. Someone you are choosing to share your highs and lows with. Someone to push you and pull you. That can pray for you, and laugh with you. It could be anyone. The beauty is you get to choose who this person is. But he/she likewise must be stretching himself or herself, have the right values, and must be willing to be your accountability partner.

• Replace the fear of the unknown with curiosity.

Let your question be "how would it be like?" excitedly, instead of "how would it be like?" in a fearful and dejected manner. Nothing can stop you aside you. The only person capable of stopping you is you. You have to work on your mindset and know that the sky is not your limit as often said, it's actually your beginning.

You might not have the resources, the platform to showcase what you are building but all those can be sorted out. The only thing capable of stopping you from making that plan, taking the step and following it through is YOU! And it all starts in your mind.

Embrace every challenge with excitement. Yes, I know that might be easier said than done, but that's the only thing that can help you. The battlefield is your mind. You win or lose a battle first in your mind, in how you CHOOSE to see things and situations. That's why it's often said you are your own competition, because going forward is dependent on you alone.

Have you read the story of Elon Musk? Do you know how much the man's worth today? What about the founders of WhatsApp? Do you know how much WhatsApp cost before it was sold?

You wouldn't know how anything would unfold until you start, until you delve into it. Don't have regrets such as "had I known?" "If I had taken that decision what would have happened?"

Don't let anything (yourself/your mind) try to limit you by saying "what if it fails?". Ask back "what if it succeeds?"

Don't let anything hold you back from taking the first step. The ball is in your court.

• Don't be a defender, be an attacker.

In football, there are attackers and defenders. Defenders are those that stand in place to prevent a goal from the opponents, not making moves forward, but always playing it safe and avoiding risks. Attackers are those that plunge forward and try everything they can to score goals against the opponents.

Don't live life playing it safe. You have to take risks. You can't know what would work and won't work if you don't take risks. We take risk everyday, living, moving, going out even in this pandemic period is all a risk. Writing this is a risk, because I wouldn't know whether you are going to read it or not, but I am writing all the same.

While it's advised you take risk, it's essential to add that taking calculated risk is more important, and equally important is doing your assignment, carrying out adequate research before you dabble into a venture, so then if you fail, you would be confident you are failing forward, you would be at peace that you made the necessary plans and you are learning and growing.

You might wanna read this: Is Failure the opposite of success or part of success?

In your mind, magnify the likely result of whatever you want to do and minimise the risk involved in actually carrying it out, because this would help you put in the necessary work while at the same time anticipating a favourable result.

I will end with this;

Live, fail, keep living.

Be all you are meant to be.

Let go of fear, and doubt.

Unleash your full potentials. Live large. And don't settle for less.