Activation of one’s greatness potential

It makes no difference how we perceive our destiny. The object is to begin. We start where we are and make no comparisons.

by Steven Patascher — 

Our “greatness potential” is waiting to be realized on multidimensional levels in the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual realms of existence. If growth is to be meaningful, effective and comprehensively sustained, these areas need to be addressed.

“Greatness potential,” as I define it, is one’s highest capacity for love, wisdom, creativity and health. This capacity is brought forth in degrees as one gets acquainted with one’s higher self. Our greatest security in life is our ability to love and create. As one continually works to bring forth that highest self, the attitude of appropriate striving is developed.

Striving is not struggling; it is inspired effort. It is invoked by consciously created opportunity in cooperation with the higher self. Striving is more important than achievement because there is no finality attached to striving. It is an attempt to be all one is capable of being. It is learning to continue to work toward the best in one’s self, whatever the circumstances may be.

We are, for the most part, never defeated by things physical. We are, by and large, hampered in the emotional and mental realms. For example, I might ask a client, “How would you respond to that situation if you did not fear it?” In subsequent discussions, the client might begin to look at the situation from the mental field and learn to make a rational decision about how best to proceed. This process allows the client to see how negative emotions might be sabotaging his/her efforts. One learns to captain these uncreative or anticreative emotions with positive thinking, and then ground these emotions in positive living.

Thinking is creatively inspired from one’s spiritual, giving and serving nature — that is, the higher self. As a result, one’s efforts then bear fruit. No meaningful effort is ever wasted and a good deed is its own reward. Though it takes time and effort to build healthy habits, this work bears such luscious fruit.

Suffering can work for us if we use it as an opportunity to learn, rather than to whine and wallow in despair. The author/psychiatrist, Victor Frankl, in his best-selling work, Man’s Search for Meaning (1962), writes about how he learned to overcome irritability of the worst kind while he was a prisoner in the Nazi concentration camps in World War II by inspiring himself to be regularly, consciously creative with his higher nature.

Frankl’s years of inner-being efforts amidst man’s worst acts of inhumanity to man resulted in his being able to experience a joy, peace and understanding that he never had been able to cultivate outside the prison walls. It is up to us to find meaning and purpose in our lives. Nietzsche, who Frankl liked to quote, said, “He who has a why to live for can bear with almost any how.”

Courage is needed to work on activating the greatness potential because courage is the antidote to fear. Winston Churchill said, “The maxim that nothing matters but perfection is spelled ‘paralysis.’” It is best to invoke our highest striving efforts, no matter how we feel. Stumbling is part of the process and getting up and brushing oneself off is part of the process too. The time not to quit is when all of the signs apparently suggest we should. Anyone can quit; it takes courage to keep going.

With courage, we can learn to live above our circumstances. We can begin to challenge our philosophical approach to life and cultivate joy. Even in the face of great difficulties, we can live transcendentally. An altered point of view is a great remedy for life’s troubles. We are not our fears, tragedies or sufferings. We are more than what happens to us — much, much more. In spite of any circumstance, we can choose joy.

In order to find meaning and purpose in life, we need to give ourselves meaning and purpose. It is up to us. We unearth our meaning and purpose through an evolving process in which we cooperate with the uniqueness of our greatness potential. An effort of enlightened striving is dependent upon creative, self-induced efforts while expecting no special opportunities or rewards except those gained by co-creating with the highest potential in our nature.

Creativity is a working partnership with our higher self. Even the most miniscule gain contributes to the development of our “multidimensional muscles” and activates our greatness potential. We awaken to the fact that it is our individual responsibility to be a co-creator in the nurturing of our self-conceived destiny in life. It is a joint do-it-yourself project. Wherever we are going, we get there by our own loving, co-creating, enlightening efforts. We travel in mutual affection, appreciation and compassion with other seekers striving toward the greatness potential.

It makes no difference how we perceive our destiny. The object is to begin. We start where we are and make no comparisons. Our efforts, challenges, trials and tribulations afford the best opportunity for inner being fulfillment and service. We live life to the fullest with the hand that the universe has dealt us. Fulfillment comes about, not by collecting things, people, money and awards, but by being able to say yes to life from the inside out.

Helen Keller proclaimed, “Thank God for my handicaps, for through them I have found myself, my work and my God.” She is also known for that uplifting challenge, “Life is a daring adventure or nothing.”

We can turn challenges into opportunities. We are limited only by our capacity to aspire to our greatness potential. Every challenge is an opportunity. It is either an opportunity to learn or an opportunity to serve. One’s challenges may be blessings in disguise. When we go through tragedy and suffering, it can work for us. It is up to us to be creatively and lovingly determined to make life work for us.

Every day someone says “yes” to life physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. It is our job to milk the challenge in unique and individualized ways and ground the attributes and capabilities of our greatness potential.

Dr. Steven Patascher, Ph.D., is a certified professional coach (CPC), who works with people from all walks of life. 602-595-2390.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 24, Number 6, December 2005/January 2006.