Achieving Your Potential
Success is Closer Than You Think
Every person is born with a unique gift—potential. It’s that extraordinary ability within us that, when harnessed, can achieve in hours what nature might take years to accomplish. The key lies in awareness and creating the right environment. Once you align these factors, success becomes inevitable.
Think about it—whether the task is big or small, doesn’t everyone desire success in everything they do? Life is filled with endless opportunities, like doors waiting to be opened. If you work hard, you might unlock a few doors. If you’re smart, you’ll open many. But if you’re truly alive and in tune with yourself, the doors won’t just open—they’ll swing wide open for you.
However, here’s the twist: People often make success so complicated that they forget why they wanted it in the first place. They start crafting complex theories about what success means, creating unnecessary barriers.
A Funny Take on the Pursuit of Success
Let me lighten things up with a little story. Back in India, there was a man named Shankar Pillai—a name as common as John Smith in the U.S. His son, like many Indian youth, moved to Texas as a software engineer. There, he fell in love with an American woman.
Now, back in India, love like this could stir up some serious drama. After much hesitation, the young man told his parents. Shankar, the father, was furious. In India, marriage often involves tracing family roots back generations to ensure “purity” of lineage. How could his son marry a woman whose lineage was a complete mystery?
Despite his efforts to dissuade his son, the young man went ahead with his love story. Shankar, outraged, disowned him. But time has a way of changing hearts.
Years later, the couple had a baby boy. The proud mother frequently posted pictures of their adorable child online. Although Shankar had cut ties with his son, a grandfather’s love started to bloom. Over time, he decided to meet his grandson, albeit with strict conditions—he would visit the child but have nothing to do with his son or daughter-in-law.
When Shankar finally met his grandson, he was mesmerized. The child had a lively spirit and shared a deep bond with his grandfather. One day, the boy took Shankar out to teach him archery. On a farm, Shankar saw several bullseyes, each with an arrow perfectly at the center. Impressed, he asked his grandson how he had achieved such accuracy.
The boy smiled and said, “Grandpa, I shoot the arrow first, then I draw the target around it.”
This cheeky response highlights a profound truth: overthinking success and rigidly sticking to plans can be counterproductive. Sometimes, you have to dive in, adapt, and let things unfold naturally.
The Trap of Overplanning
It’s good to have a plan, but plans are just a starting point. The problem with rigid plans is that they’re based on what we know today, not what’s possible tomorrow. Most plans are simply an exaggerated projection of the present.
Let’s say you’re standing at one level of success today. Your plan might be to multiply this by 10 or 100 over the next few years. But does that account for opportunities or experiences you haven’t yet encountered? Not really. Plans, while useful, can limit your imagination and close doors to possibilities beyond your current understanding.
The Power of Purpose
Rather than obsessing over plans, focus on having a clear purpose. A strong purpose acts like a guiding star—it adapts to changing circumstances. Plans may fail, but if your purpose is intact, new plans will emerge, and success will follow.
Purpose allows you to stay flexible while still being anchored. Imagine you’re navigating a river. A plan is like a detailed map, but a purpose is your compass. Even if the map becomes irrelevant, the compass keeps you moving in the right direction.
Passion: The Double-Edged Sword
Passion can fuel success, but it can also backfire if not managed well. When success becomes an obsession, failure feels devastating. Frustration and anger build up, and that’s when passion turns into poison.
Here’s the thing: anger and resentment don’t just hurt emotionally—they have measurable physical effects. Studies show that anger can literally poison your body, releasing harmful chemicals into your system. Holding onto such feelings is like drinking poison and expecting someone else to suffer.
Instead, channel your passion constructively. Let it energize you, but don’t let it consume you.
The Magic of Awareness
Everyone experiences moments of brilliance, but the real question is: how often do you tap into that potential? Touching it once in your lifetime isn’t enough. True success comes from consistently staying in touch with that inner genius.
What does it mean to be truly brilliant? It’s not just about logical thinking or intellect—those are things a computer can now outperform us on. Real brilliance lies in accessing the deeper dimensions of our intelligence.
Here’s a fun fact: the human body is capable of incredible transformations. For example, the food you eat turns into living tissue. Think about it—a chicken sandwich you had for lunch becomes part of your body by evening. If you asked Charles Darwin, he’d say such transformations take millions of years of evolution. But your body does it in hours. That’s the kind of potential we carry within us
Tapping Into Your Potential
Most of this genius operates unconsciously. But with awareness, you can turn unconscious processes into conscious ones. Imagine having even a drop of this innate intelligence at your disposal—it could transform your life into something truly magical.
Success isn’t just about effort; it’s about aligning with the natural flow of life. With awareness, you stop chasing success and start attracting it.
Closing Thoughts
Success is simpler than we make it. Stop overcomplicating it with rigid plans and theories. Focus on your purpose, stay aware, and let your passion inspire rather than overwhelm you. When you do, you’ll find that doors open effortlessly, and life becomes a journey filled with wonder and endless possibilities.
So, the next time you think about success, remember this: shoot the arrow first, and then draw the target. Success isn’t a destination—it’s a way of living.