Be Your Potential
I’ll never swim as fast as Michael Phelps. I’ll never run as fast as Usain Bolt. I’ll never be the best at basketball or kick a field goal from 60 yards. You probably won’t either, but who cares? Be your potential. Live to what you’re capable of. Be the best version that you can be. You don’t have to be the GOAT, but unlock your potential. Your potential might be more than you could have ever believed was possible, but that starts with you living your life in a way you can achieve the best you.
David Goggins is a household name now, and I love hearing his stories. I’m currently in the process of reading his book, Can’t Hurt Me. Prior to starting his book though, I’ve watched hours of YouTube videos of him on podcasts, listened to his stories, and stories other people told of him. What he talks about isn’t really anything new, but it is a reminder of lessons possibly forgotten or passed on. His story is powerful and truly motivational. One of my favorite quotes from David Goggins apart from, “STAY HARD!”, is, “You are in danger of living a life so comfortable and soft that you will die without ever realizing your true potential.”
Growing up, I frequently heard the phrase, “be the best at what you do.” In other words, it doesn’t matter what you do as long as you are the best at what you do. While it does have it’s place and can motivate people to become the best they could be, I do think it could cause action paralysis, anxiety, depression, and ultimately not allow people to achieve their full potential. Not everyone can become the best at something. Instead of becoming the best, I think people could accomplish much more and have a healthier mentality if they worked to become the best version of what they could be.
Another phrase I don’t particularly like is, “try your best”. “Try” means, “attempt” or “make an effort”. It feels so in the moment and whimsical. I might try to go work out, but man, the bed is so warm. It’s too cold outside. I tried to get out of bed, but it’s just too hard. Stop trying, and be your potential; be your best. When it’s cold outside your covers in the morning, you can either try to get out or you can get out. Another David Goggins’ quote, “Don’t stop when you’re tired. Stop when you’re done.”
Let motivation start your journey, but don’t rely on it. Continue your journey through discipline and mental fortitude. If you fail, try again. Try again. Try again. Try again. Don’t wait for the next motivational talk or speech. Try again.
It’s ok to fail. I fail 99% of the time, but keep trying until you fail less and less. “In every failure there is something to be gained, even if it’s only practice for the next test you’ll have to take. Because that next test is coming. That’s a guarantee.” - David Goggins.
This applies to many things including your health, fitness, career, school, financial health, etc., but I do want to put a disclaimer out their especially for fitness and health. Everyone has their limits, and I don’t want anyone to go beyond their limit and injure themselves. I, for example, do not lift weights until failure alone at home because the consequences could be fatal. I also don’t try to swim across a lake because I know that the consequences of something going wrong given my current abilities could be fatal. Understand your capabilities, limits, and the potential consequences before you do anything. Consult with a medical or fitness professional if you need before embarking on something that could potentially injure you.
We all live once, and I want to see what my max stats in life are. I want to witness what I am truly capable of, my potential. Don’t you? Stay hard!
If you have any questions, suggestions, or stories you want to share, please get in touch with me. I would love to hear from you. You can send me a message via my Contact page. Stay safe out there, stay healthy, and keep the course. I’ll talk to you on the next one.