There is something that inherently resonates with people in the idea of maximizing individual potential. I’m thinking of this for myself but as I begin to write I realize that this is a very opportune time to address this idea in the midst of the Olympics which, in its essence is a worldwide public display of athletes attempting to do exactly that in their various sporting endeavors.
I like the image of the Olympic torch to symbolize this because I am not referring to athletic accomplishments specifically but to any personal endeavor. In the Olympic Torch Relay any person could theoretically be chosen to participate – I also love the image of the runner surrounded by supporters of many varieties.
I am fascinated with the first step in realizing or maximizing personal potential which is described in The Cure for the Common Life as unpacking your bags. It is the idea that each individual is uniquely qualified to do specific kinds of things – as opposed to the popular but perhaps misleading attitude that “you can be anything you want to be.” In an ideal world a person would not be excluded from being whatever they might want to be but even in that ideal world, just because someone can be something does not mean they are really suited to that something.