Trade Your
Potential for Results
by:
Christopher Hampton
There are only two options: Make progress or make excuses. Unknown Two coaches were
watching a talented player practice on the field. The young coach mentioned to the older coach. " That
player has potential." The older coach replied, " Potential is just a fancy word for he ain't done nothing
yet." I remember throughout my life I have had people from teachers,coaches, clergy, and friends say I
had potential to do great things. I had come to realize like the older coach said I had a lot of potential
but I had not done anything. In everyone I believe there is potential for greatness. Take a look at your
personal heroes in life then take a look at yourself. Do you want to accomplish the great things that they
may have done. the difference is to make make up your mind that you will not settle for a dream. You
will settle for results. Resolve not to be one of those people who talk a good game but never deliver
results. Here is a principle on how to get the most results from your potential. It’s called the R.E.A.P.
Principle. Recognize Potential: You have to recognize the potential that is in you. It is worthless what
others see in you if you do not see it in yourself. You have to recognize the potential to start your own
business. Your potential to complete school. Your potential to raise your family in a healthy
environment. Your potential to be a success. If you don’t see it, if you do not recognize it. You will not
believe it and therefore you will not take action. Exposure: Expose yourself to see what others who are
producing the same results are doing. Exposure is a way of learning by observation. By exposing
yourself to like results, it shows that what you want is possible. It’s just a matter of learning how they
did it and recreating the results. Accepting Responsibility For Results: You have to take responsibility
for results in your life. The life that you are living are a result of what you did or did not do. Even
though your environment is important what environment you stay in is up to you. If you believe that a
system is holding you down. Then it is your responsibility to figure out the system and make it work for
you. It is up to you to remove , overcome every excuse and produce the results. Responsibility is
synonymous with ownership. Ownership will lead to commitment. Commitment will lead to
perseverance. Perseverance will lead to focus. Focus will produce actions. Actions will produce results.
Put A Demand on Potential: Whatever your recognized potential is put a demand on it. When you are
putting a demand on your potential you are experiencing, nurturing, cultivating , disciplining the
potential gift or talent. I am a gifted speaker but everytime I speak publically I am getting better and
stronger. You may be a gifted athlete by going to practice working out at the gym and going to
competitions is how you get better. Think of your potential as water sitting in a bucket in the back yard.
That water was supposed to water the plants in your garden or rinse off your car. However it justs sits
there in the bucket. Eventually if the water sits there long enough it will become stale and stagnant. It
will become dirty and not safe to use. It turns into swamp water. It is the same with you. If you don’t
put a demand on the various abilities on the inside of you . You will become stale, depressed, feeling
like your self worth is not there. Midlife crisis. You feel others do not appreciate what you have.
Weekly Application Think about where you are in your life. Think about where you want to be in life
and the results you want to see. Evaluate what you are good at. What skills gifts and talents you have.
Do not forsake even the smallest of gifts talents abilities. Think about how these G.T.A. can assist you
in accomplishing the desired results.