If you ask any of my close family and a few friends, they can probably tell you about the time I went off on one of my soap-boxes about how much I hate the word, potential. Hate may be a bit strong, but it will suffice. Usually, when someone says, “they have so much potential,” the context of the statement is regarding someone who isn’t quite meeting the expectations of the person making that statement.
It’s kind of like saying a blind date has a great personality. Awesome, you’ve pointed out an admirable attribute and made an underhanded slight all in the same statement. In the south, it can also be communicated via, “Oh, bless her heart.”
It seems as though every time I hear someone mention how much potential I have, there’s an unstated “but” or “if” that could be inserted at the end of the sentence.
You have so much potential, but you haven’t held a job for more than 5 years at a time.
You have so much potential, but you just aren’t applying yourself.
You have so much potential, but you aren’t focused.
You have so much potential, if you would just do “this” instead.
Every one of those statements speaks to the failure inherent to the current situation. I’m not suggesting that the people highlighting my potential are doing so with the intention of insulting me or knocking me down a peg or two. In fact, I’m sure we could find many a psychologist who would suggest that the way I interpret that phrase has more to do with how I view myself, as opposed to how the person making the statement views me. Regardless, I know I’m not alone and I have a point to make. So, that’s the first and most common usage of the word, potential. However, there’s a second and much better version that I’d take any day of the week.
I wrote a blog not too long ago and mentioned a homeless guy I met named Chris Logan. CLICK HERE to go back and read it. He’s the one who is one of the hardest workers I know and won’t take a handout. He came in the shop recently just to check in and I found out his cell phone had been cut off. We went to the nearest MetroPCS and got him a new phone and phone number. As we were walking out of the store I said this to him, “Your plan renews in 30 days, which means we have exactly 30 days to find you a steady job. You are going to pay for the next month, because we’re going to find a job for you. I’m in this with you, so my commitment is, as long as you continue to work hard, I’m going to continue to pay for this cell phone until you have a steady job – but the goal is for you to pay the next one. You are going to do something amazing; we just have to figure out where it’s going to be.”
Did you catch that? I told him he had amazing potential, but I spoke to his future, not his present. I could have said, “Chris, you have so much potential, if you could simply find a steady job.” Instead, what I told him was that his potential is going to be realized and he and I are going to do whatever we can to bring that future into the present.
Potential spoken to the present highlights failure. Potential spoken to the future initiates progress.
Chris and I are no different in the sense that we both know we are capable of more. What will impact how close we get to accomplishing it will have quite a bit to do with how we view our own potential. Do we see it in light of our current circumstances or do we see it as a glimmer of great things to come in the future?
You have so much potential; period. What are you going to do with it moving forward? I have a feeling it’s going to be big.
3… 2… 1… GO!!!!
When I was failing classes all throughout middle school I was always told “not living up to your potential”. I took it as an explanation of my failures and never was given an idea of what could have been in store. I dropped out of high school but it wasn’t until much later I realized my potential and then planned beyond it, on my own. HS dropout to 3.5 GPA in Engineering at Auburn. War Eagle
Love this. Love you. You have so much potential as a husband. ??
I always hated that word, too!