Our Potential is Our Wealth
Psychologists have estimated that man puts to use only ten percent of the abilities with which he is born. Professor William James of Harvard University has very aptly observed, “What we ought to be, we are not ready to be.” In spite of the inborn qualities with which nature has endowed us, the successes which should have been ours in this world keep eluding us for the simple reason that we quite unthinkingly consent to lead inferior lives. Then, discontented, we put the blame on others for not giving us our due. But it is inside ourselves that we should look if we are to find the reasons for life’s deficiencies. Constantly viewing others with envy and a sense of grievance will lead us nowhere, and can turn us into our own worst enemies. The fact should be faced fairly and squarely that it is only if we exploit our own potential to the full that we shall meet with success. Any other course will lead to failure.
It is essential, however, to determine at the outset whether our efforts are directed at worthwhile objectives. Without proper direction our potential will be wasted.
In ancient times and even up to medieval times, gold being greatly prized, one of the great preoccupations of the ‘scientists’ of those days was to strive to convert base metals into gold. Over the centuries, dreams of instant wealth drove innumerable people to superhuman efforts. But all this expenditure of time, money and energy was in vain, for death always overtook them before they could achieve anything tangible. It never seemed to occur to any of them that these metals with which they worked had a different and greater potential than anyone could ever have imagined. Iron, for example, was convertible, not into gold, but into machinery, and could be used as a versatile building material of great strength. In the world of today, western nations having learnt these secrets and directed their energies towards building up the most sophisticated technology. Indeed, they have succeeded in acquiring far greater wealth than mere silver and gold.
