The Unleashed Capacity

This article was published in Cilantro Central Magazine
Issue 36 | June/ July 2012

“You failed!” is a phrase you might hear from your boss, your parent, your friend, your spouse; or you might simply feel it even though sometimes such a feeling is completely illusory; it echoes in your head on and on only to ravage you slowly from inside. Notwithstanding that it merely consists of four letters, this little word “fail” can easily turn your whole life upside down; it has a magical power to afflict you with an inferiority complex, which you may never recover from, and eternally leave you with a broken spirit as well as almost non-existent self-worth.

The ignored reality is that each individual in this world is successful but in his own fashion. Before going any further, let’s first define the broad meaning of success in order to be able to identify it. Success is the achievement of something you have been aiming for after considerable effort and time. In case you hold the notion that you are a failure, it is time to ask yourself this question:                                
  “How often did I accomplish something I have been aiming for after considerable effort and time?

Most probably the majority answer will be “many times” once they refresh the memories, pushed inadvertently at the very back of their mind; and this demonstrates how unaware you can be of your successes, letting them sink into oblivion, which accordingly culminates with allowing despair and disappointment to occupy a massive space of your life.

To make your answer more tangible, draw up a list of the successes you attained. Make certain you did not forget anything; you will find out, to your surprise, that there are plenty! Bear in mind that your success is not necessarily restricted to the area of work or study as its implications are virtually materialized on all fronts. Through this list you will come to be conscious of the bright side within yourself. The side that might have been buried for ages though it embodies your triumph and keeps you away from the failure zone.

Now let’s move to the counter part of your self or namely its dark side which permanently resides in you, but you barely bother to explore it. That is why it is dark for you and almost unseen. The process of throwing a light on this side can be conducted in two methods. The first, being highly rewarding if done systematically, requires a substantial amount of deductive reasoning. Bring the list of successes you wrote out earlier and then try to figure out what capabilities enabled you to achieve each success. This very analysis gives you deep insight into your skills and attributes, which is instrumental especially when it comes to applying for a job or getting involved in a particular activity.

The second method is trying your hand at something you have never done before. Should it work, you will have it to your credit. If not, at least you will learn something new out of this experience. Don’t ever be afraid to take your chances, and always remember the golden rule: “nothing ventured, nothing gained”.

Last but not least it is worthy of mention that the more you live and learn about your own complicated human self, the more you realize it is impossible to fully understand its dimensions. Self is like space; its exploration is infinite. There always remains this dark zone that continuously awaits us to solve its mystery, the mystery of our covert, imperceptible abilities. So appreciate your potential however petty it is. Don’t let it be clouded by your weaknesses. This is the way smart people act!

By Noha Fathi