Sugar and Spice and What You're Really Made Of

The Lie of What You're Made Of

You're not made of sugar and spice and everything nice. You're not made of frogs, and snails, and puppy dog tails. While the early 19th century nursery rhyme was clever for its time, it does little more these days than generate pithy memes.

You're not made of any of these, and yet perhaps you're made of all of these and more.

You are also not made only of the sum total of all your failures and all your successes. Much less the tenor and tone of your most recent failure, in case that's your current earworm of self-talk.

You're not made solely of a compilation of cells and DNA molecules along with brainwave patterns. You are spirit and you are light. You're made of star stuff.

George Leonard had it right when he wrote near the end of Mastery, perhaps as a summation of the ideas in his book, "Whatever your age, your upbringing, or your education, what you're made of is mostly unused potential."

Unused Potential

We are here as humans on earth to master life. What that means for each person is highly individual, and far too many people have not accepted the challenge or have lost their courage to do so.

Life is an adventure. The adventure lies in discovering and living into our potential. George Leonard calls this adventure the "path of mastery." He says that it is our evolutionary destiny to use what is unused, which is pure potential awaiting human expression.

Who You Are

Being is the 'gift of' and 'call to' expression. How we express ourselves largely depends on who we think we are and what we think we are made of. If we believe we are merely finite creatures, destined to live lives of quiet desperation, that will be our expression.

What if... what if we were truly "made of" unused potential. What if, to follow the ideas espoused in quantum physics, we are more wave than we are particle. That seems to be what Leonard is saying. We are pure potential, awaiting manifestation.

To be made of unused potential means that instead of being finite, you are infinite! Consider how powerful that makes you!!

We can choose, and do choose, in every moment to manifest what we believe we are made of. A shift in life is often facilitated by a shift in deep-seated beliefs. If your life doesn't look like the adventure you quietly dream of, know that there is hope and you can switch tracks.

Renowned coach and author Steve Chandler says in his book 17 Lies That Are Holding You Back, "it takes courage to hold on to [the] truth." The truth that you are not defective. That you are perfect, right now, just as you are. That you are made of unused potential - like a bank account of infinite supply, just waiting for you to make a withdrawal.

Here's to life at the edge,

Michele Jennae

Did anything resonate with you in this post? Email me and tell me about it! I'd love to have a conversation about what moved you.