MAXIMIZING YOUR POTENTIAL By the late Dr MYLES MUNROE

The late Dr. Myles Munroe

"One of the greatest tragedies in life is to watch potential die untapped. A greater tragedy is to watch potential live unreleased. How sad to know that the majority of the people on this planet will never discover who they really are, while others will settle for only a portion of their true self. Only a select few will make the quality
decision to maximize every fiber of their lives by fully using their gifts, talents, abilities, and capabilities. This we call maximum living. Each one of us has the opportunity to pursue maximum living. The question is, Will we choose to exercise that option?
Living to the maximum challenges us all because much of our environment is not conducive to this pursuit. In every society there are traditions, norms, social expectations, customs, and value systems that impact, shape, mold, suppress, control, and in some cases, oppress the natural gifts, talents, capabilities, and potential of its members. This process starts even from the beginning of life. Even a newborn infant receives subtle messages of community expectations from parents, siblings, and other family members that in many cases stifle and limit the child’s awesome potential.
Potential screams for release in the soul of every human being who enters this planet. Every individual is a living treasure chest. Each person arrives like a brand-new product from a manufacturer, equipped to perform and fulfill all the demands placed on him by the Creator. This is the reason why the natural instinct to dream is so pervasive in children.
Dreams are visual manifestations of the seeds of destiny planted in the spirit and soul of each human by his Creator. This preoccupation
with ideas and imagination in youth is evidence that we are created with the capacity and ability to conceive visions and aspirations that extend beyond our present reality. Perhaps it is this inherent ability to explore the impossible for the possibilities that Jesus Christ, the most maximized man who ever lived, referred to when
He stated, “…unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3).
This simple yet profound command embodies a principle that captures the spirit of maximizing one’s self. It implies that the average adult, through the process of growth and development, has lost the free-spirited, open-minded, inquisitive, explorative, daring, believing, and uninhibited nature of a child. It indicates that the ability to dream and explore possibilities diminishes in the course of growth to adulthood. It also communicates the heart and desire of
God our Creator that the ability to dream big and dare to attempt the seemingly impossible would be restored in all men and maintained
throughout their lifetime.
As stated earlier, most of our social and cultural environment works against our dreams and minimizes the magnitude and scope of the vision in our hearts. We are trained mentally and spiritually to fear our dreams and doubt our destiny. We are discouraged into believing that our passion for greatness is abnormal and our aspirations are suspect. The result of this human “counter-development” process is that the majority of the earth’s population lives under the spell and debilitating power of the specter called “fear.” Fear is the source of ninety percent of the lack of progress and personal development in the lives of millions of gifted, talented, and resourceful individuals. Many experts in the field of human behavior
have stated that the fear of failure and the fear of success are the two most powerful and most prevalent fears experienced by the human
family. The great politician, King Solomon, states it this way:
Fear of man will prove to be a snare [trap of restriction], but whoever trusts in the Lord [in the assessment of his Creator] is kept safe (Proverbs 29:25).
In other words, when we believe the opinions of men and their assessment of our ability, these perceptions and opinions imprison us and eventually become a trap that impedes and limits the maximization of our true potential.
It is reported that the newspaper counselor, Ann Landers, receives an average of 10,000 letters each month. Nearly all these letters are from people who are burdened with problems. When Landers was asked if one type of problem is predominant in these letters, she replied that fear is the one problem above all others. People fear losing their health and their loved ones. Many potentially great men and women are afraid of life itself. They never attempt their dreams because they fear failure. Others fail to strive for their aspirations because they fear success and the responsibility and accountability that comes with any measure of success.
Therefore, the potential that is trapped within many human treasure houses is suffocated, buried, suppressed, and lost to the world. Most people live at minimum performance, willing to do only what is necessary to survive. They live to get by, not to get ahead in life. They maintain the status quo instead of raising the standard in life. They do only what is required and expected. What a sad and depressing way to live. I challenge you to step away from the crowd of those who maintain, and join the few who are committed to attaining their full potential by endeavoring to maximize their abilities. After all, who else can live your life but you? Who can fully represent you except you? I admonish you to unearth yourself and share your treasure with the world.
A few years ago I was invited to the beautiful nation of Brazil to address a leadership conference. During my stay there, my host took me to visit a little town made famous by a sculptor who had lost
both hands to the disease of leprosy. As a young man stricken with this horrible disease, he would sit for many hours and watch his father work in his wood carving shop. One day the young man decided to train himself to carve and sculpt wood with his feet and the parts of his arms he had not lost to the leprosy. The resilient spirit of this young man released his untapped potential, and his work gave evidence that trapped within this cripple was one of the greatest artists the world has ever known. I stood in amazement and disbelief as I viewed some of his magnificent works of wood, installed in the most beautiful churches in that city. We also visited his rendition of the major Old Testament prophets, 12 life-sized carvings that are displayed as one of Brazil’s most admired national treasures.
Tears filled my eyes as I was told the story of this great handless sculptor. I could not but think of the millions of people who have both hands, arms, and feet in perfect working condition, but who fail to leave anything to their generation. This sculptor is evidence and testimony that buried within each of us is potential that can be maximized if we are willing to go beyond our fears, to overcome the norms and opinions of society, to hurdle the fabricated barriers of prejudice, and to defy the naysayers. There is no handicap except that of our minds. There is no limit to our potential except that which is self-imposed.
Jesus Christ, the specimen of humanity who best demonstrated the unlimited nature of the potential in mankind, said, “Everything is possible for him who believes” (Mark 9:23b). What daring spirit this statement ignites. It makes us question our own limitations and disagree with our fears. It is a known fact that every manufacturer designs his product to
fulfill a specific purpose and equips it with the necessary components and ability to function according to that purpose. Therefore, the potential of a product is determined and established by the purpose
for which the manufacturer made it. This very same principle is inherent throughout creation. The Master Creator and Designer established His purpose for each item in creation and built into each the ability or potential to perform and fulfill that purpose or assignment.
For example, the purpose for seeds is to produce plants; therefore, by design, all seeds possess the ability and potential to produce plants. This ability to reproduce does not, however, guarantee that the seed will produce a plant. This is the tragedy of nature. The destruction of a seed is in essence the termination of a forest.
This principle can be applied to all God’s created beings. For example, your life is a result of a purpose in the mind of God that requires your existence. You were created because there is something God wants done that demands your presence on this planet. Youwere designed and dispatched for destiny. This destiny and purpose is also the key to your ability. You were created with the inherent abilities, talents, gifts, and inclinations to fulfill this purpose. Just as
a bird is designed to fly, a fish to swim, and an apple tree to bear fruit, even so you possess the potential to be all you were born to be.
Your life has the potential to fulfill your purpose. You, and every other individual, possess the responsibility for this awesome treasure buried within, because this treasure within you can be fully released only if you are willing to believe and accept God’s dream for your life. If you are willing to submit to His will and purpose for your destiny and to cooperate with His specifications, nothing will be impossible for you.
Determine not to be satisfied with anything less than the fullaccomplishment of your dream. Surrender to the demands that maximize your potential so that none of your assignment is left undone when you leave this planet. The responsibility to use whatGod has stored within you is yours alone. Many individuals are aware of their ability and potential, but they have become frustrated and disillusioned by either their past failures or the negative influence of others. They have chosen to limit or withhold the wonderful gift the Creator has invested in them. Therefore, I strongly urge you to rise up from your temporary fears, shake yourself, and step out once again on the road to being and becoming your true self."

Man is like an onion.
His potential is exposed one layer at a time
until all he is, is known by all.