step into your potential Archives

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“You were born with potential.
You were born with goodness and trust. You were born with ideals and dreams. You were born with greatness.
You were born with wings.
You are not meant for crawling, so don’t.
You have wings.
Learn to use them and fly.”
―Rumi

Everyone is born with the potential to be great. There are far too many people living below their potential – believing that greatness is not theirs. They tell themselves, “I am not good enough. I am not smart enough. Why would they think I am great?” Greatness is for everyone. Greatness is NOT a goal. It is a state of mind.

To be great…you need to discover your compelling “why” – your mission and vision…

Why do you do what you do? People are drawn to your “why” more than what you do. Many people can do what you do. It is your story that creates that personal connection with others.

To be great…you need to determine what you stand for – your core values…

What do you value? What is your personal code of honour? What are the deal breakers? These values are the ones that are your guiding light or moral compass in decision-making. You do not need to sacrifice your soul to please others. If you have struggles or conflict in interpersonal relationships, chances are you do not share the same values with the other person. Before you dismiss them, determine if this is true by asking questions to learn the other person’s values.

To be great…you need to examine your beliefs.

What thoughts do you believe to be true…about money, relationships, communication, men and women, success and failure, leading and following, etc. What you believe you will see. Our beliefs determine our actions and therefore our results.

To be great…you need to acknowledge and take responsibility for your gifts.

Not everyone is given the same gifts. We are all unique. You must take responsibility for your gifts. Learn about them. Refine them. Practice them. Adjust them. Own who you are because of them and what you do with those gifts. This “ownership” is what sets you apart from everyone else.

Hiding your gifts serves no one. I held back on sharing my gifts with others for a long time. I would share my gifts but not fully. As I had the belief, “now was not the time”, I would look like I was bragging, others may think I thought I was better than them, or I was being a show-off. What I learned is by holding back or hiding my gifts, I was not being the solution to the problem or puzzle where my gifts were needed, I was not inspiring others to use their gifts and live to their potential, and I was not letting people know I had the gifts, to begin with. Because of this, I missed out on opportunities.

The right time to share your gifts is NOW.

To be great…you need to focus on the power of the journey and not the destination.

There are many people who focus on the destination as their end goal of success. Once they get to the destination, they feel emotionally let down and say, “It this all there is.” Yet with all goals, you need to overcome your greatest challenges and sometimes travel the road less traveled. You defy the odds. It is the person you become along the journey that makes you great. You have faced adversity, obstacles, and challenges – and survived.

To be great…you need to learn to be decisive.

The Latin word for “decide” is “decidare” meaning “to cut off all possibilities.” Once you make a decision, you can create a plan and make your choice a reality. The more decisions you make, the more actions you take. The more actions you take, the more confidence you will have in yourself to take more action.

With every decision, there is an option…this or that…or many. Narrow down your options, make the pros and cons lists, and trust your gut. Every decision has more questions and decisions that can be made. With every decision, ask yourself, “Am I getting closer or moving away from where I want to go?”

To be great…you need to establish success habits.

Your routines are built from habits. What current habits serve you? What habits are not serving you? What habits do you need to change? What habits do you need to start? Habits can take anywhere from 21-66 days to develop and stick. Be patient with yourself and stay determined.

To be great…you need to develop an attitude of gratitude.

When you learn to be grateful for what you have and the opportunities you have been given, the more you will be given to be grateful for. Start with writing out 3 things you are grateful for every day.

To be great…you need to be gracious and accepting of yourself.

As humans, we are not perfect. Many people have a hard time accepting themselves because they fall short of the vision, they have for themselves. With their disappointment, they may stop taking action or give up on their dream and goals altogether. Do not let past events define you. Your current situation is NOT who you are. Do not let mistakes and failures define you. Learn from them. What can you do differently the next time?

“I was never afraid of failure; for I would sooner fail than not be among the greatest.” ―John Keats

Things do not always go the way we want them to – you need to continue to BELIEVE that possibilities exist and in your VALUE. Now is always too soon to quit! Keep working at it – go after whatever it is you are drawn to until you achieve it. For every problem has a solution. There is a key that opens the door. You just need to find it. Stay focused on your end goal, be open to possibilities, put in the effort, and expect to find success.

Start unlocking your greatness today!

We would love to have you subscribe to the Success Secrets newsletter on my website at www.debrakasowski.com where you’re going to get my just release FREE e-book about the 21 Habits High Achievers Kick to Achieve Success. I would love to hear about this podcast has impacted your life. E-mail me at Debra@DebraKasowski.com. Thank you for listening to The Millionaire Woman Show where we talk about leadership, business, and human potential to help you live rich from the inside out. Subscribe to The Millionaire Woman Show. Share it with Your Friends. Give us a 5-star rating!

DEBRA KASOWSKI, BScN CEC is an award-winning best-selling author, transformational speaker, blogger, and Certified Executive Coach. She has a heart of a teacher and is certified in Appreciative Inquiry and Emotional Intelligence. Her writing has been published in a variety of print and online magazines. Debra Kasowski International helps executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations boost their productivity, performance, and profits. It all starts with people and passion. Sign up the Success Secrets Newsletter and get your free e-book download today! www.debrakasowski.com

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“Whatever good things we build end up building us.” – Jim Rohn

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Chances are you started your business to provide a solution to the marketplace and make money. As your business grows, you learn quickly that you cannot be all things to all people. You may hire or contract people to provide a service for you. No matter how much you strategize you need to know that to build your business you must focus on building your people. As your people grow so will your company.

One of the greatest challenges and opportunities is people building. What I love the most is being able to witness to the transformation and growth of people – doing things they never thought possible for them.

Identify Areas of Strengths and Potential

Do not assume that your employees know their strengths. They may be aware of some of their strengths and not aware of others. You have heard the phrase, “can’t see the forest through the trees.” It is a phrase that explains that if you look too closely at the details you can miss the big picture. Those strengths are the ones that occur so naturally that they do not even see them as strengths; it is a part of who they are. When you can speak to what they are capable of doing, you start to plan seeds of encouragement. Who they have yet to become should have some focus NOT just what they do for you. By speaking to their potential and offering support, you increase their self-confidence, motivation, and loyalty. You may be one of the few people who has ever believed in them or took the time to be interested in their goals and what they want.

Provide Meaningful Feedback

Research shows that most people leave positions because they do not feel valued or appreciated for the skills and abilities they bring to the workplace. It does not mean you douse them with praise because doing so will come off as insincere. They may begin to wonder if you want something from them instead of being interested in them for who they are as a person.

There is a way to deliver feedback with impact. No one wants unsolicited advice so ask for permission to share your observations or input. People are less defensive if you ask first as now the conversation is two-way which feedback can be shared both ways. Feedback needs to be thoughtfully delivered to ensure the person you are giving feedback to remains in tact as a person. They need to be able to trust that you have their best interests at heart.

According to Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen’s book, Thanks for the Feedback, there are 3 forms of feedback: Appreciation, Coaching, and Evaluation. You need to ensure that the person you are providing feedback to understands which feedback you are delivering. You need to provide more praise than criticism for people to have a rapport with you. When correcting or providing feedback, avoid the use of “Why did you…” or “How come you…”. These statements come across as accusatory and put people on the defensive. They become more upset with you that the feedback you are delivering. You are better to ask open-ended questions to learn more about their perspective on the situation and challenge your own assumptions. If they provide feedback to you, all you have to say is, “Thank you I will consider it” and nothing more. There are times when providing feedback can feel uncomfortable. Before reacting, give yourself time to thinking about it so you may respond appropriately. Take time to reflect on the feedback and see if it something you find useful or not. If you found it helpful, great – integrate it into your practice. If not, don’t take it personally and move on.

Focus on the Positive

When one of your employees or customers starts to complain or vent, hear them out. Thank them for them for expressing themselves – reframe the conversation. Ask for them to explain what the ideal situation would be. Use this as a learning opportunity. There may even be some quick action steps that you could take from the recommendations and they will feel as if someone heard them and valued their insight. They will feel more empowered to take actions toward the common goals.

Offer Learning Opportunities

There are many ways for your employees to learn new things. You can hire a coach, gift a book, or send them to a course or let them attend a workshop or conference. Investing in your people is important. They can build their network and share some of the golden nuggets that they have learned.

Provide Opportunity to Stretch and Advance their Skills

As new opportunities come up, see if you can involve or delegate some tasks to your employees so that they can grow and learn new skill sets. When people are learning and growing, they look forward to their roles and start thinking about how to integrate what they already know to the role.

Building people is one of the most valuable investments you can make. As you work with them to grow and change, you help change the world – even if it is your world and your bottom line. The ripple effect will extend to all who interact with them.

How do you build your people?

Special Announcement – New Book and Podcast Schedule.

EPISODE 180 – Unlock Your Greatness

EPISODE 137 – Build Your People to Build Your Business