Living Your Potential

Career Focus
11 September 2022

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I love fall. Specifically, I associate it with fresh starts as I’ve mentioned in previous blogs. When I think about it more, what I really enjoy is the potential found in new beginnings.

Imagine holding a stick of dynamite in the palm of your hand. That’s what potential looks like. So much contained energy ready to explode.

Dynamite

When I use that TNT energy, I build the world. I have the fuel I need to sustain me and those around me. The explosion provides the impetus to get me going. And, boy, do I need that energy to overcome inertia, which is a greater danger than exploding dynamite.

In contrast, not using that energy locks me in. I feel angry, cooped up, and, most tellingly, frustrated. Like I’m wasting energy instead of using it as it was intended. I thwart myself in the end. Ultimately, I can’t blame others for not using the stick of dynamite held in my own palm.

From Potential to Actual

Energy moves us from potential to actual. When I live to my potential, I feel deeply satisfied because I’m living my purpose – being who I’m meant to be, doing what I’m meant to do.

We are all called to fulfil our potential. So what stops us from living it?

Fear.

We rationalize not realizing our potential in many ways. “I’m too busy. I’ll get there when I have more time/money/resources.”

Underlying these justifications lies fear – fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of being judged.

At the same time, we can recognize the role of choice in how we respond to this fear. I can choose to live to my potential or not. The energy in potential is there for a reason. To help us. That’s why wasting it feels so bad. Deep down, we know we’ve let ourselves down. No one else has done it to us. We have done it to ourselves.

The Journey

Realizing our potential is a journey. It never ends. The potential to create a beautiful, loving, kind world dwells in each of us. Love sits beneath potential. Love, as the palm of your hand, cradles potential. Find the love within yourself and you will gently progress from potential to real.

One exercise to help find the love within yourself is to look at a photo of yourself as a baby or toddler. See the innocence in that little face. Think of the natural trust you felt in yourself at that time. Keep this photo by your desk so you can look at it when you’re struggling and need reassurance. Look at it when you’re feeling great too as a reminder of how you feel when you connect with the child you see in the photo.

Living our potential is an active state – “living.” It happens in the present. Becoming more present is another way to get ready for self-actualization, as Maslow liked to call it. For ways to get present, try my mini-course or you can do this exercise.

You have to be open minded in order to grow. The coaching that Laura gave me opened my eyes to what and how I was doing things and allowed me to see the bigger picture. I am not done yet but I already see the changes in my everyday life.
MM

I think coaching is a great way to help you clear your mind when you get stuck with overwhelming situations or when stepping into changes in your life.
MO

Coaching is life changing. It pushes you outside your comfort zone and challenges your perspectives. It is highly motivating and the exercises and techniques used are both fun and informative. I think the main benefits of coaching are to see yourself, others and the world more clearly. I think coaching is valuable to anyone regardless of where you are in your life or career.
LE

I honestly never thought I’d need a coach. I thought coaching was for CEOs and industry VIPs. I didn’t think it was for the “little guys” (i.e. me). Now, I’m of the belief that everyone – yes, EVERYONE – needs a coach. Coaching has really benefitted me and I’m so grateful to have had that time with Laura. It’s changed my life!
VB

Laura is very patient. She took the time to understand what was causing me to be stuck where I am today and help me build a better vision so I can continue to grow.
MM

I think Laura’s coaching was what I had been waiting for. Laura was so approachable, kind, and open. Her willingness to help and support made a difference for me. I found in her coaching new strategies, ideas, and perspectives that I could incorporate into my goals and objectives that I didn’t see before.
MO

Laura is an incredibly intuitive, positive and caring coach. Her techniques helped me recognize both my strengths and areas I might want to explore as I embark on the next chapter of my career. The exercises she employed were instrumental in providing self perspective and challenging my frames of reference.
LE

Laura is a natural coach. Her probing and compassionate questions helped me learn about myself: my value system, interests, goals and strengths.
LM

Coaching sessions with Laura gave me new perspectives on how to process specific feelings and situations in life. She showed me how to sit with my emotions, acknowledge them, and then use visualization strategies to move through them. I now feel more confident and in control of how I choose to walk through life.
CP

From the beginning, Laura put me at ease, creating a safe, open space for me to talk and share freely without fear of judgement. I loved the variety of approaches she used depending on the topic we were working on and it was fun being able to try out things I wouldn’t have considered before! With Laura’s coaching, I substantially grew my confidence in the workplace, overcame fears, dealt with issues I’d been carrying around for many years and, most importantly, learned to value myself and define a path forward into the future.
AG

Laura’s coaching was a breath of fresh air and EXACTLY what I needed at that point of my life. I didn’t realize how impactful coaching was going to be, but by the end of the sessions together, I left feeling refreshed, inspired and genuinely curious about what my future held for me. Because of Laura and her coaching, I believe I became a better person – someone who is more open-minded, someone with a clearer focus, and someone who is willing to explore opportunities and possibilities far more than I ever did before.
VB

I engaged Laura for coaching as I took on an expanded role leading an asset management company in Canada. As a female, I knew I would be a role model and had high expectations of myself. I was feeling overwhelmed and anxious.

In our first few coaching sessions we worked through exercises that allowed me to reflect on my purpose, leadership style and what mattered most to me. I continue to be grounded by the clarity I achieve in my coaching sessions – allowing me to be resilient and confident when challenges came my way.
OS