What I once thought of as my unlimited potential is far more limited than I would’ve been able to accept a few years ago. That’s not “woe is me” talk - it’s pragmatic, and it’s the best starting point for turning potential energy into kinetic energy.

Does my potential need to be limitless to be effective? I think that message burdens people with dishonest expectations. I am so weary of these head-in-sand prophets telling me how anything I can imagine I can make happen. Really? Okay, I imagine myself to be a horse. Yeah, exactly. What if I just have great potential, or even good potential? Most of us don’t actualize even a fraction of our potential energy anyway, and why? Are we all THAT afraid to find out that we’re limited beings? More limited, perhaps, than we want to believe ourselves to be? Uh - time to get over yourself and get in the game.

So how do we discover our actual potential? I think the only way to really know is to just keep actualizing - turning potential energy into kinetic energy by DOING instead of just WISHING or THINKING ABOUT things: tapas. And this means we need to be ready to hit our limits and accept them: santosa. Not resign to them, but be honest about them: satya. Then determine to keep challenging them until they change: abhyasa. That’s yoga, baby.

I’ve cranked up my drive to turn my own potential energy kinetic lately. I am throwing myself into the deep end in every sense, really putting my heart out there for the first time in … longer than I can remember. Risking more than I’m comfortable with. It’s kind of freaking me out, but I have let my comfort zone bloat and I know it. Time to get off the beach and catch a new wave.

As any surfer can tell you, surfing (once your’e in the water) is about 75% paddling, 15% waiting, 9% trying and 1% making it totally worth it with a sweet catch. This life is my one day at the beach, and I’ve been waiting more than my 15%. Time’s up. Time to get back in the game.