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Day 8: Identity and Potential or Potential and Identity

 DISCLAIMER: THERE ISN'T ANYTHING MUCH WRITTEN IN THIS THAT YOU DON'T ALREADY KNOW. INSTEAD OF WASTING THE NEXT 15 MINS OF YOUR LIFE, JUST GO ON WITH IT. WELL IN CASE YOU WANT TO WASTE IT ANYWAY, DO NOT READ ANYTHING IN BRACKETS OR IN RED TEXT, THAT'S A BIT OUT OF CONTEXT USUALLY MY MIND OFF RAMPING. IT WILL SAVE YOU SOME TIME TO DO MORE IMPORTANT THINGS. (SOMETIMES IT'S GENUINE LINKS TO ARTICLES WITH MORE INFO SO READ AND CLICK IT).

Question. Who could you potentially become? If you were given the power in your hands right now after reading this line to choose. Knowing very well that whoever it is you choose to become you will be right at this instant. Take a moment to think about it. Fantasies for days right? 

Let's ask a better question then, How much control do you really have over who you will become?

I will even things out and give you a practical scale to measure this: 

  1. The Drifter (0-20%) – Life controls you; you react without intention.
  2. The Seeker (21-40%) – You want change but struggle with consistency or clarity.
  3. The Initiator (41-60%) – You take action but rely heavily on external motivation.
  4. The Strategist (61-80%) – You set clear goals, build habits, and take deliberate steps.
  5. The Architect (81-100%) – You fully design your life; every action reflects your chosen identity and long-term vision.

Potential: The Unseen Reservoir of Power

Let’s bring in some heavyweights. Michelangelo once said of his sculpture David, “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” (If that doesn’t give you chills, check your pulse.) Your potential is like that marble block, waiting for you to chip away at everything that isn’t you.

Paul writes in Ephesians 3:20 that God is able to do “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” Immeasurably more. Not a little more. Not slightly better. Immeasurably. (Ooops He just took away the scale I gave you) .

The Myth of Predetermined Destiny

Destiny isn’t written in stone; it’s written in sand. (Mhmm...interesting)You have the power to reshape it, mold it, and create something new every single day. People often cling to the idea that they’re “meant” to be a certain way, as if their fate was decided by some cosmic game of dice. (Convenient excuse, right?)

But let’s flip the script. Imagine if Moses had said, “I’m just a stuttering shepherd; I’m not cut out to lead people.” Imagine if Oprah had thought, “I’ll always just be the girl from rural Mississippi.” Potential doesn’t care about where you start or what you can and can not do now; it’s all about where you decide to go and what you decide you are going to do.

Shaping Your Future Self

I feel like I sound way too philosophical today let's get a bit practical:

  1. Vision: You can’t hit a target you can’t see. Who do you want to be five years from now? In fact by the end of this week. Picture it vividly from the way you talk, walk, think, and interact with others. (Be careful, though; vague visions yield vague results.)

  2. Commitment to Growth: Potential isn’t about leaping from Point A to Point Z overnight. It’s about incremental progress, chiseling away a little more of the marble every day. (Side note: Perfectionism is a liar. Progress over perfection, always.)

  3. Identity Alignment: Remember the “I am” principle? Speak life into your future self. Say, “I am disciplined” or “I am a leader” until your subconscious starts believing it. Your actions will naturally follow.

  4. Take Action Now: Don’t wait for some mythical “right time”
    (Knock, knock.
    Who’s there?
    Soon.
    Soon who?
    Soon as I’m done scrolling, I’ll open the door.)  LOL
    Want to be a writer? Start taking notes from this blog. Want to be a fit person? Take a walk after reading this. The future you begins with present actions.

Living Up to Your Potential

In Matthew 25, we read the parable of the talents. A master entrusts his servants with different amounts of money before going on a journey. Two of them invest and multiply what they were given, but one buries his talent out of fear. When the master returns, he praises the first two and reprimands the third, saying, “You wicked, lazy servant!” (Yikes.)

Don’t bury your potential. Fear and complacency are thieves of destiny. You’ve been given unique gifts, and you’re expected to multiply them not for some divine scorecard but because the world needs what only you can bring. I actually learnt a very powerful biblical principle from my business partner on this note yesterday, I might as well write about it tomorrow. ( tomorrow who?) 

A life half-lived

Speaking of fear, Marianne Williamson’s famous quote comes to mind: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”

It’s easier to stay small, to hide behind excuses and societal expectations. But it comes at the cost of not stepping into your potential? (Let that sink in.)

Your Role in the Masterpiece

Here’s the beautiful paradox: You’re both the artist and the canvas. Every choice you make is a brushstroke. Some strokes will be bold and vibrant; others will be messy or hesitant. But over time, the picture becomes clearer.



To close, let’s return to that question: Who can you potentially become? The answer is simple: whoever you decide to be. (Simple? Really bro?) Potential is your divine right (more on this on tomorrow's blog), but it’s also your responsibility. So pick up the chisel, start carving, and remember the masterpiece is already within you get those brushes to work.

Because this is what we do now.

Because this is who we are now.


References: 
https://mfundos2025.blogspot.com
https://en.wikipedia.org

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