Jewel, Joy, Just, Job, Jazzed

Car collectors keep them in a garage all polished and in pristine condition. Card collectors will often buy a complete season of cards and never open the box. Collections of all types are kept on display, but are rarely used because any mark or flaw will lessen their value. If I were collecting items as an investment, hoping to sell them at a later date for financial gain, I guess I would understand this behavior. I struggle however to understand the joy of having a car I cannot drive or a recording I cannot play.

I feel the same way regarding human potential. Too often, people place their potential in some hidden vault where no one can see it … especially themselves. Unlike collecting cars or jewelry, human potential doesn’t increase in value the longer you hold on to it. The value of one’s potential is realized only when it is unleashed, allowing one to become all that he or she can be. Yet, we keep our potential bottled up. Every day, I watch people shelve their potential by not taking a walk or eating well. What will it take to get them to unbridle it and let it run free? The joy of owning a great recording comes from listening to it. Likewise, the joy of having great potential comes from using it. A jewel does not sparkle in the darkness.

Get jazzed about your life and enjoy the journey. Embrace and use your potential for your own delight and to benefit others. Unlock the vault in which you have been saving yourself and just do it today and every day from here on out. Here is the combination – right to dreams … left to hard work … right to realizing your potential. It’s an easy combination and I know you can open your vault!

Missed the beginning of our journey through the alphabet? Check out the rest of Getting Back to Basics.

Members, are you following along? If you want to create your own words to enrich your positive self-talk, download Real People … An Alphabet Adventure from the Chapter Contests and Activities in the Members Area of our website.