Existential Psychology

Seeds Of Potential

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I have a bunch of packets of different types of seeds that have been sitting in my pantry for the last few years and have been contemplating planting some of them this spring. The interesting idea for a conversation about self-actualization is that they have been lying dormant all this time and they’ll continue to lie dormant unless I do something about it. The potential is very much there for them to turn into something more though.

Of course I can’t be sure that they will sprout, or grow to maturity, or offer anything of substance come harvest. The best I can do is provide them with the nutrients they need, rich soil, the correct amount of water, and plenty of light, and then leave the rest up to their own powers. I can’t force them to grow, nor can I speed up the process, but I can put their growth into motion by planting them, and I can certainly do my part to help them along.

We all have seeds of potential, potential that may have been lying dormant all our lives, just waiting to be planted so that they can sprout and grow. The most common mistake is to see ourselves as we are, not as we can be, to believe our self-actualization is complete when it may not even have begun.

If you never plant your seeds you will end up proving yourself right, you’ll end up being exactly the way you saw yourself. But if you take the risk, if you follow your heart to discover your hidden passions and talents and then create the proper external conditions to give these seeds a chance to grow, before long you might find yourself flourishing in ways you never thought possible.

We say take the risk because just like planting a real seed, there is no way to guarantee that your seeds of potential will sprout, grow, or offer any bounty you can harvest. There are many elements outside of your control, inexorable forces that can only be harnessed not created out of thin air. But if you don’t plant your seeds you’ll never find out.