A lot of people constantly need to reach certain heights to realize that they are developing properly. We usually call it reaching our full potential. Practically, a physical or mental potential is some higher level of performance an individual can possibly reach. External circumstances and inner hurdles do not let us reveal our skills and abilities to the full extent, which means that we tend to underperform. These hidden skills are quite visible to teachers and parents who constantly work with children: they clearly see that some of them are able to do much better than they can imagine.
So what keeps us from showing a better result we are capable of? In many cases, people do not even know about their talents. Perhaps, they could not discover what they are good at early enough, or teachers did not realize needs of developing certain skills in their students. Nevertheless, potential is an estimated category. The personal potential is evaluated by other people according to the previous performance or inclinations. Not all people can realize their full potential in the first place because it can be estimated improperly. Besides, there are numerous external factors that either favor or suppress us on the way to a better performance. Some individuals may have skills but lack assets or opportunities to realize them.
If a person has realized their potential, it usually means that they achieved a prominent success in anything they are good at. Entrepreneurship, crafts, arts, or sports – there are dozens of areas in which people can reveal their hidden potential. Hard work and growing experience usually help them to reach new heights.