When people talk and think about the word 'potential', all too often they refer to one's unique capabilities, talents and strengths. I believe this offers a limited perspective, because true potential can only be fostered at the level of identity, your own special way of being in this world.
It is your identity, or your perception or concept of who you think you are, that directs and organizes your beliefs, core values, capabilities, actions and behaviors. It is at the level of your authentic self that you will find the source of all your resources!
There are more than 6.5 billion people in the world, yet no one is just like you! Do you ever wonder about that?
The acknowledgment that each of us is truly unique leads to an innate desire to express that uniqueness, which unleashes a person's natural sense of creativity and passion.
Montana Gray said it very well when he wrote that if you live your authentic life, you have no competition.
Throughout life's experiences, the way you are is expressed through the different roles you have chosen to take on. Roles such as being a mother or a father, a brother or a sister, a business professional, a community leader, a CEO, a husband or wife, a construction worker, a friend, and so on.
Think for a moment about the different roles you have chosen to take on. Each role invites you, or calls upon you, to express your authentic self. Each roles carries within a mission to be fulfilled.
If you are a mother, are you fully being a mother? If you are a CEO or a business executive, how committed are you to fully being yourself within that role?
Some of my coaching clients express a sense that somehow they feel as if they have lost their true identity.
What does that mean?
They feel that they can no longer express themselves fully and authentically within a certain role. Some continue to stay in roles, trying to live up to the expectations of others. Just like the medical doctor who came to the realization that she would prefer to teach children, rather than being a doctor. When I asked what made her committed to study medicine for more than 15 years, she paused for a moment and said, “Well, I think my father would have been proud of me.”
Take a moment and reflect on all the different roles you have chosen to take on in your life. How do they define you? Which roles invite you to express more of who you really are? Which roles are no longer supporting you?
I believe that we choose and accept to take on different roles for well intended reasons. Yet some of these reasons might be outdated and no longer serve you in becoming the person you were meant to be.
Taking personal responsibility for expressing who you really are is a privilege and tremendous freedom.
Who are you?
If not yourself, who else can you be? And if you want to be like someone else, who would be you?
Once you acknowledge and accept the different roles you have taken on, you can take full responsibility for your life and become more of the person you really want to be.
In return, you can be seen, known, and understood for who you truly are. And isn't that the most profound connection we can hope for? Give yourself permission to be more of who you really are!
About Dieter Pauwels:
Dieter Pauwels is a professional certified life, business and career coach, speaker and author, facilitating personal and organizational transformation. He works with both individuals and teams to create new possibilities, manage change and maximize their productivity and personal effectiveness.
You can visit his life and business coaching website at or read his comments and thoughts on the impact of coaching on life and business on this blog.