This magical command spoken by Ali Baba in a well-known folk story dating back the 18th century has become a widely recognized phrase associated with the idea of opening a door to riches and success bigger than we could imagine. In each of our lives, it is safe to say that we all have an area that we wish would open up to something bigger. Whether it is our career, our relationships, our finances, or our personal or spiritual growth, it stands to reason that there is one uplevel that we would love to magically unlock. So what are you waiting for? The door is ready for you, just channel your inner Ali Baba and get to work.
Now, of course, I am referring to a metaphorical door. Or, if you prefer, a theoretical and philosophical doorway of thought that M.O. Walsh opened up in his bestselling 2020 release titled The Big Door Prize, which asks of us to consider if who we truly are is all we truly could be. In this heartfelt novel, each character’s fullest potential is revealed to them in one word on a small slip of paper. Words like Liar. Hero. Magician. Mayor. Royalty. Words that have the ability to change a life if you let them, and is left for each character in the story to decide.
Undoubtedly, the potential for each and every one of us to achieve something more, different, better? is lying in wait in the mystical unknown every day. And, most of us by the age of forty have not even scratched the surface of all that it may be. So, what then is it that holds us back from stepping over the threshold and into our fullest potential self.
Potential. That is a loaded word and concept. By definition, potential energy is energy that is stored in an object due to its position or condition. It is not a force, but it can be converted into kinetic energy, which is energy of motion, when the object is released. That object is you. And whether or not you release yourself and make a move to open up the door of possibility is completely up to you.
Now, the cave of the forty thieves was Ali Baba’s specific target, but there are an infinite number of doorways that we can open up in our lifetime to find our greatest treasure. It is possible that only one of those doors will lead us to our divine purpose. Or, perhaps, every door we open has that potential. Does bigger always mean better? What is certain is that they all will require us to let go of every preconceived notion about who and what we are not in order to be who and what we are. Or, perhaps in the way Walsh’s characters act upon the fictional DNAMIX machine’s readout when their purpose is revealed, maybe just the thought of opening a bigger door has simply given us permission to take a chance on those things we wanted to do and be, anyway.
The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
No matter what door we open, what holds many of us back from reaching our potential can be attributed to things like fear, complacency, self-determined limitations, and a lack of desire to get down to the nitty-gritty and do the work. That energy comparison I talked about a few paragraphs back is no joke, and it can be the game-changing difference between visualizing your dreams and achieving them.
I recently saw an Instagram story from a fellow POSHMARK (and other platforms) reseller @_jens_addiction (read more about her in my previous post here) who stated that she is currently making $10,000 worth of sales per week. I immediately turned to my husband and said, “I can’t do that. Can you imagine the amount of work that she must have to do in order to keep up with that demand?” And, as soon as the words came out of my mouth, I heard my own limiting beliefs and aversion to the perceived amount of labor and energy required as compared to my current status. Definitely something I need to work on.
Truth be told, I applaud her strength, and that of anyone who is ‘killing it’ in their field. I recognize that if I am to fully embrace what is behind the mystical big door, I must be ready to put in the work, be it increasing the hours of labor I put in, developing my mental toughness, or fine-tuning my emotional acuity in order to keep up. Because, as its name implies, the big door is just that. Big. What lies behind it is not for the faint of heart. Not for the weak. It is your unlocked potential waiting for you to claim. You just have to say the magic words.
Here are some beginning steps you can take to work toward unlocking your potential, today:
- Define your dream. What is it that you want? Open that door.
- Eliminate negative thought. Don’t let your inner critic (or anyone else) deter you. Close the doors that are blocking your path.
- Build good habits. Notice and make note of what energizes you (keep that open) and what drains you (close it).
- Be fluid in your thoughts and action. Remember, there are 1,000 doors you can open. Don’t get stuck in one doorway.
- Embrace failure and/or rejection and know that it is okay. Pivot, don’t panic. When one door closes, open another one.
Need more inspiration? Check out my free PRINTABLES page where you will find worksheets and reading guides that are great for goal setting, increasing productivity, and achieving more.
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