Hidden Potential
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[Note from the Proprietor: This post marks yet another of an as-yet unknown number of articles I'll be sharing with you, based upon thoughts, meditations and/or observations made during a June ‘08 retreat at Laity Lodge.]
Take a close look at this old cedar branch (for the best view, click on the photo, then click on “all sizes” and view the largest size; believe me, it’s worth it). Examine it closely. This is perhaps the most fascinating object I’ve run across in a long time.
Look real close and you can see at least parts of the shapes of various animals in the grain: dolphin, eagle, alligator, lizard - well, you try it. What do you see?
A Long Circuitous Road
You ever think about what you’re going to be when you grow up? Yup; me too. In fact, there are days when I still wonder that very thing… but I digress. (Gee; I’ve been digressin’ a lot of lately, haven’t I? Oops; looks like I did it again. Sorry.)
Anyhoo -
When I was much younger, I used to think about my future a lot, especially while a struggling college student. (And by struggling, I mean hanging on by the fingernails for dear life.) It was always a continual source of irritation that my roommates all expressed such clear ideas about their career goals.
For instance, one wanted to be an architect, while the other one planned to manage his father’s ranch (his major was Range Management - whatever that is). Then there was, you know, me; the one with no clue whatsoever. Oh, sure, I’d chosen a major - everybody had to - but whether or not it was the right one, well, who knew?
At first, I enrolled in Petroleum Engineering. But when I found out it wasn’t a major, but a triple major (geology, engineering, and organic chemistry - sound of me, fainting dead away), I rapidly switched to Electrical Engineering. Alas, that didn’t really give me a charge appeal either, so I switched once again to Mechanical Engineering.
Sadly, the idea of my becoming an engineer was doomed from the start. Calculus, I’m sorry to say, quickly put the kibosh on it (which is a West Texas expression meaning punched it in the nose and stomped it flat). (You can read about that particular epiphany here.) For a few days, I even considered switching to Architecture, but alas, my grades weren’t good enough to get in.
Finally, I decided not to decide and chose that always handy “throw-down” of college majors, Liberal Arts (no offense to Liberal Arts majors intended). Now, at an Engineering college like Texas A&M, that was sorta like walking into Baskin-Robbins and ordering vanilla ice cream. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that - hey, I happen to like vanilla, especially if it’s Blue Bell’s Homemade Vanilla. And their Banana Pudding flavor is definitely to die for. Oops; digressed again. Sorry.)
But the ultimate irony is, after everything was said and done, I ended up eventually becoming an engineer anyway. (Yep; I received my engineering degree 20 years after starting it. Hey, I may not be smart, but at least I’m slow!)
In fact, the story continues - I’ve since moved on to yet another job - engineering consultant. (If you’re interested, you can read about some of the things I’ve done for a living on my About page. Bring popcorn.)
Is There Hidden Potential in You?
Interesting, don’t you think?
What if you imagined your life as a giant sheet of paper covered with lots of random, squiggly lines going every which way. Over time, patterns become evident in the lines, and a shape emerges. Sometimes, other shapes emerge as well. In fact, given a creative mind, there may be no end to the hidden shapes you can discover in that paper.
It’s sorta like the lines on that old cedar branch. As I stared at it, I found myself seeing all kinds of images in the twisted and curving grain of the wood. Like a find the hidden shapes drawing, shapes of various things, mostly animals, began to emerge.
Amazing, isn’t it? It’s as if this old, fallen chunk of wood had hidden potential - countless shapes, all waiting to be discovered and brought to life by a creative mind.
You know, we humans are much the same way, I think (and if you’re not human, then please don’t, you know, dematerialize me into my component atoms; I really hate that). I mean, let’s face it; when we’re born, kicking and screaming, all we really are is a set of potentials, like a piece of paper. It’s not a blank page, though. No, it’s covered with seemingly random patterns.
Yet as time goes by, we grow, and we develop interests, inclinations and preferences that all contribute to the person we eventually become. And we watch as time eliminates some potential paths while others come to the fore. Patterns emerge, acquire definition, become real. Sometimes they morph into other patterns, too.
Here’s the thing, though. No matter where in life we end up, I think the potential is still in there to be, well - more? better? Maybe different.
Consider This
So here are your thought-questions for today.
Let’s say, just for the fun of it, that branch represented your life. Examine the lines of the grain that wander from one end to the other. What shapes do you see in it? Is there a dominant one? What about others?
Are there things you think you’d be good at - but aren’t doing now? What have you always wished you could do - and you have, or can acquire the capability to do it - but something is holding you back. What hidden potential is still to be discovered in your life?
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If you liked this article and would like to read another post inspired by my retreat at Laity Lodge, see:
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(Photo credit: Hidden Meanings, by Robert Hruzek)
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31 responses so far
Middle Zone Musings is a comfortable place to stop, have a cup of coffee, swap a few stories and share practical ideas for the real world. I don't ask for much, just a bit of your brain every now and then. Have a seat, take a load off, and relax...
Hi Robert,
Personally, this will be an interesting question for me to consider during the next twelve months.
I have been teaching English in South Korea for the last three years and will do so for one more year, after which time I intend to return to my home country (Australia).
I do not have a clear picture of where my life will take me upon my return, particularly given that I did not have a clear direction in my former profession (Accounting).
Accordingly, over the next year or so, I intend to undertake a considerable degree of reflection upon any untapped strengths or abilities I may have and how they might influence the direction I take upon returning to Australia.
I have always wanted to have a business of my own, but I have no idea of what area I would like to operate in.
So, the questions you have asked above will certainly be more than relevant to me personally over the coming year, and I look forward to pondering some of them.
Cheers
Andrew
Andrews last blog post..What makes a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work?
I finally know what I want to be when I grow up– a six-figure blogger. When I add up the last two years of blogging, there’s six figures, but with a decimal thrown in. But I’m having fun, meeting lots of new, neat people and getting paid to put words in order. Life is good.
I loved this post, especially that picture and the thoughts that come from it. Robert, boy, you have a talent for writing.
Karen Putzs last blog post..Hands & Voices in Colorado
Oops, that’s going to be a long story: when I was at school I loved to read (I read almost everything non-fictionial) and to write in the pupils’ newsletter. I wanted to become a journalist. But I was very very shy so my parents told me that being a journalist and being shy doesn’t go together very well.
I decided to study German and English because I thought it had to do with literature; and because I wanted some sort of safe job I went for teacher training with the two subjects German and English. In the end my marks weren’t good enough, so in the end I got a job as foreign correspondent at the Berlin University of the Arts in the beginning of the 80ies.
And then the computers came (i.e., Apple came) and I was deeply fascinated and enjoyed working with them.
And then came the Internet, and they needed someone to built webpages in HTML. Having finished a one week html course I said I would like to do this. And I got the job. Building static html pages was replaced by building a website with a Content Managing System, and that’s where I am now. You can’t built webpages without pictures, so I learnt photoshop, enjoying that very much.
Outside my job I am into blogging - doing one thing I liked to do as a child - reading and writing and in addition to that, processing my photos. There is still one thing I liked to do more - drawing and painting. But you can’t do everything, can you?
Ulla Hennigs last blog post..Flowers beneath the Road
This is a very timely post for me, as journalism remains battered from every angle. It’s all I’ve ever done…but I now see that it’s not all I ever WILL be. Thanks.
Anita Bruzzeses last blog post..What’s So Bad About Being No. 2?
@Andrew - Back when I was in the midst of a 4-year (yes, you read that right!) unemployment period, I seriously considered taking a job teaching English at a small school in Japan, so I sorta know where you are at the moment. (Actually, I suppose I’d be teaching them “Texan” - wouldn’t that be a hoot!)
But the time did help me understand more about what I’d be willing to explore. (I mean, I had no pesky job to distract me, ya know.) I confirmed, among other things, that I really like the engineering business, so determined to stay in it.
I still tried a few other things (unsuccessfully, as it turned out), but it was all part of the learning and discovery I had to go through.
One advantage you have that your average Joe doesn’t (no offense to any Joe’s out there!) - you’ve had a prolonged exposure to a culture not your own. Not sure about Australia, but if you were in America, it makes you almost unique. Seriously!
My advice: find ways to capitalize on that.
Keep me in the loop, Andrew; I’d like to keep up with you!
Robert, I went through the same maddening confusion in college as you; it took me forever to finally pick a major and graduate.
Someday - someday real soon - I hope to have my own business and make sure I can work from home for the rest of my working life. I see an elephant and a whale in the wood, and maybe those symbolize the enormity of the tasks before me … but I know with the right help and enough hard, smart work, I can do it.
And with nudges from posts like this one, I really believe I will.
Thanks for your familiar writing style and uplifting thoughts, Robert. I appreciate it.
Easton Ellsworths last blog post..Business Blog Ally #3: How to Develop Hope
@Karen - Thanks, I wasn’t sure this one would come across the way I intended, but apparently it’s doing just fine. (Note to self: be more confident!)
Hey, do everything you can to move that decimal as far right as possible! I think the great thing about blogging are the almost unlimited ways to generate an income stream, both directly and indirectly. Build it over time, but don’t ever limit yourself - keep open for new possibilities, pursue what works, and you’ll do well.
@Ulla - Who says you can’t do everything? If you have the time, why not?
No, seriously, you’re right. But there’s no law that says you can’t TRY everything. No never know; something new might just replace something old…
@Anita - I don’t know many actual journalists, and I’ve wondered about how journalism is being affected. But surely the skills you have suggest other lines of investigation? Sometimes (and I speak from experience) we’re so “close” we don’t see the possibilities. Try asking friends and trusted advisors.
Your kind words encourage me as well. Glad to have been a help!
@Easton - Hey, maybe we should swap images! Right off, I saw an eagle, an alligator and a dolphin. The eagle flies high above, soaring on his widespread wings wherever he will, the alligator fearlessly takes on anyone, and the dolphin freely cavorts across the wide-open ocean - and has an enormous amount of fun doing it.
I appreciate your kind encouragement, too. Now, if I could just figure out how to make a living at it! Perhaps one day…
Robert, wow! I am sitting here pondering those questions. Yes, I see the seemingly random patterns and know that God sees the whole of them but my feeble brain continues to fumble through trying to make sense of the bigger picture. These are good questions that I will spend some time thinking about. Thanks again for awaking those brain cells!
Karen Swims last blog post..Grocery Store Confessions and Other Wild Tales
Howdy, Karen! Just remember - there’s nothing random about God’s intent for our lives. Sometimes all we need do is ask.
Hey, you might also try the same advice I gave Anita - check in with a trusted advisor or two. Many times I’m afraid we suffer from “forest for the trees” syndrome. Friends, on the other hand, have a (sometimes depressing) way of knifing right through the faldera. Might be worth a try.
Besides, you can always make new friends!
I love the idea that my life has hidden patterns in the grain. And I love the idea of looking at my life as playfully as you looked at this root. My kids and I still do the old “finding animals in the clouds” game.
For me, it’s a constant realignment. Where am I? Where do I want to go? Why? Where should I go? Who or what is my prime responsibility.
Lately those answers bring me back to four places: My kids, my wife, my job to serve Mr. Butt, and my job to spread a particular vision through the internet.
I feel bad that church isn’t in there anywhere. I’m active in church, but I feel like my primary purpose lies outside of the organized church right now.
And of course I have the ongoing mission to read as much great science fiction and fantasy and horror as possible.
Mark Goodyears last blog post..Do We Really Want Our President on Twitter?
By the way. I saw a rhinoceros in that piece of wood.
Good solid thinking, Marcus. You said it right - it pretty much should be a constant realignment. Too often we find a spot that fits and say, “OK, I’ve arrived!” but fail to reassess where we are every now and then.
And hey, there’s plenty of room for action outside the organized church. Keep goin’!
Oh, and by the way, I found it on the path back to the concert building. Almost brought it home with me, but I thought, “Naaah; someone else may need it one day.”
Robert,
My friends used to say I was living my dream when I was a working journalist.
After a while - and the Branch-Davidian incident - I didn’t like that dream. It later turned into a nightmare. I’m with Mark on the constant realignment and reassessment thing.
My college major changed five times - including electrical engineer - and all the aptitude tests I took came up suggesting I become an engineer or editor.
So now I’m trying to break into technical writing or writing proposals and enjoy where I’m at helping people with their employee benefits.
Now I need to go suggest some Fantasy & Science Fiction titles and authors to Mark. That’s my other dream - to finish a short story I started based on my seven-year-old daughter’s creation of a “Shocknoceros” - a Rhino genetically-engineered with an electric eel that can spark lightning from the Rhino horn and fry poachers.
-Sam
Sams last blog post..My Mom’s Blog
“Shocknoceros” - that’s a good one, Sam; good luck with that! Not a bad idea, actually.
Funny thing; I’ve wanted to write science fiction since I was young, too. Never quite got around to it. Now I’m writing, but not sci-fi. But who knows? Maybe one day the ol’ spaceships from Mars will land in my front yard and I’ll finally have a good idea for a story. Oh, wait…
Great Article Robert.
You should see all the driftwood in the lake behind our house. It can look really great if you work at it and clean it up. Just like so many friends I know that have drifted off and just need to come back around and get back on track to great things.
Steve
I wanted to be a writer from the first time I could hold a crayon, seriously. After a 25 year career detour, I’m finally getting my chance. I don’t regret the detour, because it taught me so much I can apply to my new vocation. God works in mysterious ways, but I’ve learned to appreciate the fact that he’s always working.
Brad Shorrs last blog post..12 Things Writing and Golf Have in Common
I think you hit it right, Brad. No matter where we end up, it’s all a learning process. And everything contributes to the person (and the writer) you are now.
Robert,
About the driftwood photo: Have you noticed the (almost totally three-dimensional) bird that looks much like the bird in your “Clueless” photo? While I’ve thus far been unable to see several of the animals you’ve mentioned, that little critter just jumped right out at me.
And now — to go back and actually read your post…
Jeanne
Actually, the thing I see the clearest is a dolphin jumping out of the water - it’s clear as day. But I think that’s what’s so fascinating about the whole thing, how we can all get different interpretations from the same information.
Robert,
I wonder if your dolphin could be my bird. Is it very small, with a pointed snout (or beak), facing right, perched atop the fork between the two branches in the right half of the photo, about mid-height?
Hey, I think I see him! No, the dolphin is pointing down and to the right along the main branch. His head, eye and snout are as clear as a bell to me.
Interesting metaphor about “shared visions” there on your little bird…
I believe I see your dolphin, too, Robert. I even see what could be a light gray fin along the top of its sleek, curved body. Am I looking in the right place?
Now that I think about it, my bird actually reminds me more of a sparrow than it does the bird in your “Clueless” photo, because, while the body is somewhat similar to the bird in the “Clueless” photo, the beak is entirely different. The “Clueless” bird’s beak is longer and narrower than that of the bird in the driftwood photo. While the “Driftwood” bird’s beak does come to a decided point at the tip, it’s considerably shorter and wider. The “Driftwood” bird appears to be resting contentedly on its nest — again, facing right. I see it in profile — its beak, its head, its plump body. About the only thing I don’t see is its tail. (Don’t see wings, per se, either, because its shape appears the way a bird would look from a distance if its wings were tucked in around its body, with no details visible.)
This has certainly been a fascinating study — and I wholeheartedly agree that the “shared visions” aspect is intriguing!
I’ll now have to go and give some thought to the individualized lesson in human potential to be gleaned from my personal perceptions about this amazing photo!
Thanks for a wonderfully imaginative exercise!
Jeanne
[...] ain’t alone! It’s a somewhat common ailment throughout history, wondering about our own hidden potential, don’cha [...]
Wow, you analyzed this thing WAAAY more than I did, Jeanne! Yes, I think you see the same dolphin I do now. Hey, this has been an interesting exercise!
I’m with you, now. Might have to think about a post along those lines… (sound of gears grinding…)
That’s me, Robert–always analyzing everything! But, in this case, it certainly was fun!
You’re right, Jeanne. Might have to do something along similar, er, lines again. (sound of groans) Sorry.
Aaaah, Robert, you’re in top form today!