I’ve been thinking about potential recently. Potential is something that’s immediately apparent and attractive to most people, and gets them thinking. Look at people’s reactions to an unfinished room, or an open-ended vacation. People love potential. They buy products that will let them take advantage of any situation that may come along, they buy movies and books about people who have cast aside their straight lives to see where life may take them.
But what I’m thinking about today is how potential is useless without action. Specifically, I could have a backpack that contains everything I would ever need, but it completely lacks value if it is not used. There is a point where further preparation is futile, and all that matters is action. I’m scared of getting hung up on that point, going over a checklist instead of diving in headfirst. I need to remember that potential is nice, but it isn’t the point.