“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”
The word ‘potential’ can be used in connection to different parts of society. In regard to science, it connects to the amount of energy or work possible but not done yet.
A spring, when compressed, has more optimal energy than one in its relax state.
Another area we often refer to potential is with our young people. In fact, someone may have said it to you when you were young - ‘you have so much potential’ or ‘you are wasting your time, there is so much you could be doing’. The latter is referring to potential without naming it up.
One more thing about potential when it comes to young people is that we usually refer to it in the negative, like I just did in the previous paragraph - ‘Oh, if only you could see the potential we see in you’. This type of talk may be true one way or another but it seldom leads to anything positive. Especially from the young person’s point of view, as it often just reinforces the negative thoughts they are already plagued with.
It is interesting to look online at the number of young people who turned COVID-19 lockdowns into productive businesses; 17-year-old Olivia made and sold fleece toys for dogs, brothers Sidney and Ozzy designed t-shirts, 16-year-old Lawrence made hundreds of dollars as an Instagram curator - I don’t even know what an Instagram curator is.
Needless to say, the potential is in our young people to do different things and accomplish a great deal.
Motivational speaker Nick Vujicic has made a significant contribution to the international community, not just because of his amazing public speaking but also because of all he has accomplished. He says,
‘We may have absolutely no control over what happens to us, but we can control how we respond. If we choose the right attitude, we can rise above whatever challenges we face.’
Scott Winkler — Principal