Drain the pool

This is not about what you think. Probably.

Do you know how much potential you have stored inside you? We are often told as children that we can be anything we set our minds to but, this is absolute nonsense. We are all limited and, we are not only limited by the laws of nature, we are limited by who we are. It isn't politically correct to say but, we are not born equal, at least in the way people like to fantasize about equality.

We are born equal in at least one way though and that is, we all have potential in us, a pool of resources that will grow and shrink yet, be with us until our last breath. In general, it increases capacity when we add skills or take advantage of opportunities and, decreases capacity when we do nothing. It atrophies like unused muscles.

If we imagine that at the time of birth, there is a maximum capacity, with each passing day we step closer to the end, that maximum shrinks. No matter what one does in life, there is never a way to reach the maximum but, there is a way to approach it.

Of course, one can subscribe to determinism where the end is already predestined but, it doesn't really change anything because even under those conditions, whether one believes they can affect not not, the paths are still taken, even if not choices.

Do you know how fast you can run and how long for? Would that time change if being chased by a hungry lion? If we use this as an example for potential, there is a gap between what we think we can do and, what we can actually do under ideal conditions. Perhaps being chased by a hungry lion isn't most people's idea of 'ideal conditions' but, it may be ideal to evoke that particular response. Perhaps, even an Olympic sprinter could squeeze a fraction more effort out if the motivation was right. Survival is a great motivator.

But, what about just life in general, do we really spend much time pushing on our own limits? Unlikely. The human animal is a lazy one for the most part, it is our laziness that drives a great deal of the innovation we create. We like comfort, we like ease, we like to conserve energy, not burn it. We are hardwired to create heuristics and tools that make our life easier so, we do not need to use our own tools.

Psychologically speaking, we don't like to be uncomfortable and most do not appreciate being put in situations that they have to question what they know, especially if they believe it to be true. We want our mental comfort zones in place so we don't have to face the possibility of being wrong and, having to change.

What would the world look like if we all lived up to our potential, if we even got close? Again, one can say that we all are doing the best we can and that is absolutely true in the very moment we are doing it but, it doesn't mean our best can't improve with new information. This is true even with determinism.

For example, you might believe that it is all up to fate, that there is no free-will and ever decision is made. Well, that means that you reading this article now is predetermined, as could you tomorrow finding a better way to take advantage of your pool of resources. Do you even know what your pool contains, have you ever taken stock and worked out just what might be laying there in the depths? Why not?

You want a better life don't you? What are you going to do about it? Or, are you expecting other people to use their own resources to grant your wishes? Is a life living off the mercy of others a better life or, is it one that crushes the spirit and raises feelings of oppression? Are you oppressed? Are you sure? How can you actually know?

Are you basing it on what others are doing or, on what you are capable of? If you are not using your resources as well as you could, who is doing the oppressing? Self-oppression could be not allowing oneself access to the all of the resources and benefits possible in the pool.

What does it take to get us moving in this life? What kinds of lions do we need chasing us to see how good we can actually be at something, how well we can move, think, act, create and care. Perhaps this is the biggest issue, maybe we just don't care enough about ourselves to grant the effort it takes to be our best, to even be our pretty good.

We spend our time worrying and investing in all manner of external nonsense yet, do not invest much into ourselves. If we do not see ourselves as worthy of investing in, why would anyone else? Have you thought about that? I hope so because it is the way you make your decisions on who to help also. How often do you help people who are unwilling to help themselves?

Who are you actually inspired by? Those who do little with a lot or those who do a lot with little? When it comes to the people we look up to in this world, it is those who have dug deep to overcome adversity. They kept dipping their bucket in until their pool was drained. But, it wasn't. The pool doesn't drain, there is always potential in it, until that last breath.

Breathe.

Was that it? Was that your last breathe? No? Well, you still have opportunities to act and most likely, opportunities to expand your pool of resources much further than you think is possible. You need something to motivate you, you need a lion? Find it, it isn't my job to provide it.

Taraz
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