Unleash The Inner Flea In You: Tapping Into Your True Potential

In the late 1800's a popular attraction was a Flea Circus. "Trained Fleas" were kept in a cigar box. When the lid would open, the fleas would jump in the box. So what do you have in common with an ordinary flea? The interesting fact about the fleas in the flea circus is that they never jump out of the box. They would only jump the height of the cigar box even though they had the potential to jump 8 to 10 inches. They were trained by keeping the lid on the cigar box for a long time. They would jump up, hit the lid and bounce down. This would happen over and over again until the fleas were conditioned to not jump to their potential but rather where they were conditioned to. Once conditioned, they would never try again to jump higher. They resigned to the new truth that they could only jump about an inch.

What we are capable of doing pales in comparison of what we are truly able to do. When we stop trying to jump higher we start believing that we really can't. Our lives become more enclosed and more safe and then it becomes ordinary. But the price that we pay for being comfortable sucks the passion out from our lives. We must fight back and push the limits of what we are capable of. We have all heard of the old adage, "If you don't use it you'll lose it". This holds true for our potential and dreams.

We must force ourselves out of comfortability and test our capability - not just once in a while but constantly. It is the nature of living that causes us to value comfort over growth but it is the nature of us as individuals that needs to grow and expand. It is when we grow and as we become more do we really live our potential.

In this timeless wisdom, we find the understanding that we can't afford to think that we have reached our potential. No matter how uninspiring or inspiring our lives have become. Words such as should, could, ought to - must be transformed into must. We must turn our shoulds into musts. Challenge ourselves and our spirits to stop asking, "Is this all there is?" and revel in the opportunity of, "How far can I go".

If you knew your true potential was 8 to 10 times as great as you are living right now, what could you do? How would you love? What would you try? What would you do right now that you have been reluctant to do or try? See my friends, we are all very much like circus fleas. Not even knowing what are true abilities are. It is like being a high performance sports car but we only drive in the city. The time is now. Time to take that baby on the open road and really see how fast it can go. To push the pedal to the metal and turn ordinary to extraordinary. Yes, it can be scary but remember emotions are a sign of life - even fear. Live bold and brave and most important live free. Free from the expectations and perceptions of what we think is real and decide on your terms, not the terms of when somebody or yourself close the lid on the cigar box and you settle for 1/10th of who you can really be.

Carpe Diem!