“It seems to me that people have vast potential.  Most people can do extraordinary things if they have the confidence or take the risks.  Yet most people don’t.  They sit in front of the telly and treat life as if it goes on forever.”

- Philip Adams

How true!  As a teacher, perhaps I am trained to appreciate potential differently from non-teachers.  I’m not entirely sure about that, but I do know that I see vast amounts of potential in my students, as well as my friends and family all of the time.  It is wonderfully inspiring to see so much potential and fascinates me on a daily basis just how talented, creative, and passionate people can be, but what exasperates me to no end is that so much of this potential is untapped.  

This quote definitely hits the nail on the head and addresses that confidence is often the missing factor.  (And, I think that I especially liked this quote because it is also quite profound in stating that no one builds confidence by watching television…a big pet peeve of mine.)  

For me, this blog has been a risk.  I had no idea exactly what I was doing when I started it nearly a month ago.  To be honest, I’m not even sure where the confidence to do it came from.  Writing has always been something that came somewhat easily to me and when I see others who struggle with it, I want to help.  I love to share what I write and the idea of writing professionally has always been a goal that I would like to achieve “someday.”  But, as the quote reminds us, life does not go on forever.  One day, you just have to decide that it is your “someday.”  You have to have the confidence to make it happen.

Submitting my work for publication is a risk and requires tons and tons of confidence.  But, the magic of it all is that once you get going, once you find out how to believe in yourself, the confidence builds.  If you focus on what you want your outcome to be and remind yourself of it over and over, you can make anything happen. 

As with anything in life, the key to remember is that there has to be a balance.  The apprehension, the nervousness, and the uncertainty about what you are willing to risk or venture are all necessary and shouldn’t be lost or overshadowed by too much confidence. Those feelings of humility and modesty are what make us stay on track and stay focused on what is truly important to us.  If we don’t have some fear, some rejection, or some disappointment along our journeys, then the we won’t really appreciate our destination when we reach our potential.  People who are too sure of themselves, arrogant, or cocky may become well known and may have many accomplishments to their name, but they are not the people who we would consider extraordinary.  Be extraordinary.

Choose to do something today that feels risky, but is important. Come back and share your story.  I believe in you.

~Melissa