We Have the Potential to Be All That We Are

At first glance, a phrase like we have the potential to be all that we are might sound limiting—maybe even pessimistic. It can read as if we’re being asked to settle, to see ourselves in a dimmer light. But in truth, what I’m reaching for is the opposite. This idea is rooted in empowerment, in clarity, in the freedom that comes from letting go of illusions about what we—or others—are “supposed” to become.

There’s a misconception many people carry, something I call the KISA factor—K-I-S-A: Knight In Shining Armor. This is the fantasy that someone will come riding in on a white horse to save us, transform our lives, or pull us into a better destiny. But I reject that idea fully. There is no hero galloping in from the horizon, no magical figure that arrives to rewrite your story.

And this piece isn’t just about dismantling the KISA myth—it’s about taking the next step. When I say we have the potential to be all that we are, I mean this:

We often imagine that somewhere out there is a pot of gold with our name on it—some special opportunity, some quick adjustment, some person who just needs to “fix” one thing. We project that same thinking onto others: “If they could just change this… If they would only do that…” We look at people through a me-centric lens. We imagine what we would do if we were in their shoes, and then judge them for not doing it.

But over the years, I’ve learned something humbling and liberating:

Trying to push people past not only their abilities, but even their aspirations, is a losing game. Everybody’s frame, everybody’s wiring, everybody’s hunger is different. Some people are not waiting for a breakthrough moment. They’re not secretly a diamond in the rough just waiting for the right pressure. Sometimes what you see in them is what they are—and that is not a failure. That’s simply their light.

And if that light shines at 60 watts, then let it shine at 60. Don’t try to force it to burn at 120. You might cause a fire, and you might destroy the very thing you were trying to help.

Empowerment is not about insisting on someone else’s “latent greatness” as we imagine it. It’s about accepting that each of us has a natural range, a natural rhythm, a natural glow. And within that authenticity, there is a quiet power. Not every beam has to blind the world. A softer light can still warm a room.

So when I say we have the potential to be all that we are, I’m not saying aim low. I’m saying aim true. Honor your actual gifts. Honor the way your light is built to shine. And extend that same grace to others. Not everyone wants to transform. Not everyone needs to be pushed. Sometimes the fullest version of a person is already standing in front of you.

And there is nothing pessimistic about that. In fact, that might be the most empowering truth of all.

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