If you could be anything in the world, would you be you?
This may seem like a philosophical question, but I believe that the answer holds the key to unlocking your greatness and full potential. You see, there are only two possible answers and outcomes to this question, but both can be life-changing.
The first answer is that you are exactly where you want to be in life. You are meeting objectives, making a difference, and leaving your impact on the world around you, at least in your own way. If this is you, that is great. Embrace who you are and don’t let anyone hold you back. By realizing that you are who you want to be, you are now free to fully devote yourself to your cause and continue to run the race well. But, more than that, you are now in a place to help others achieve their dreams. Don’t squander your success by hoarding it, but instead use your God-given gifts to lift others up with encouragement, training, and support.
However, the second answer is more common. Most of us are still struggling to figure out what happened to the passion we once had for life. We’ve set aside our dreams for the status quo. Life is not bad, so we forget about the greatness within us and instead settle into the crowd. Only, every once in a while, we hear a small voice deep within our soul begging to be let out, but we quickly bury the voice. Life has just gone too far in the other direction for us to change course now.
What if we were honest with ourselves just for a moment? What if we admitted that there is a longing within us for more? You see, I believe that the only difference between you and me and people who have achieved great things is that those with the achievements weren’t afraid to let their greatness out.
As a Christian, I take great comfort in Psalms 139:14, where the Bible reminds us that we were fearfully and wonderfully made by our creator. Each one of us has a purpose for our lives. It is that one thing that no matter how far you run away from, it keeps finding you. For some, it is to be a writer, an artist, an inventor, a teacher, or any number of things. Some of them may seem small to others but to you, it is the best thing in life. That is who you were meant to be.
Unfortunately, many of us keep our true selves hidden. It may be out of fear, distraction, disappointment, or even lack of motivation, yet there it is, always trying to claw its way to the top of your life. Perhaps, it is time that we try a different tactic. What if we embraced our true selves and shared our greatness with the world? Not because we are selfish, or want attention, but because that one thing that we keep hidden may just be what the person next to you needs. This is not a change that we can make overnight, but little by little day by day, let’s all get stronger. Let’s all try a little harder to make the impact that we were created to impress upon the world.
