If you could fly, would you?
This question was posed by Jon Gordon in one of his recent social posts. Of course, when I read it, I thought — YES! How cool that would be?! I started thinking about all of the neat things I could do, like avoid traffic jams, view the water from above to see unique places to fish, save time, and I even began to think about the different businesses I might want to start.
Then, I read the rest of the story where Jon cautioned us not to respond too quickly, as it was a critical-thinking question. He correctly pointed out that most of us choose a daily path that does not lead to our full potential based on our skills and abilities. Our full potential requires that we use uncommon discipline to grow our skills, learn new things, develop good habits, and push ourselves beyond our comfort zone.
I use the word uncommon because when you meet someone who is outstanding, who pursues excellence, you recognize it immediately. They stand out, you recognize they are flying above the average crowd. Most people never choose to fly as high as their full potential will take them.
I had the pleasure of coaching a young professional who had enormous potential, yet he seemed to be complacent and satisfied with average. I shared a story with him which demonstrated how easy it is to be outstanding compared to average. Recently, he visited with me and shared how impactful that story was and how it helped him see ways he could fly higher and yes, he has become an outstanding professional who continues to pursue his full potential.
It’s easy to do the things that make us outstanding but it’s also easy not to do them. It’s a daily choice if we want to truly fly.
Are we flying as high as our potential will allow?
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