They say that once upon a time, there lived a man
who wanted to achieve everything he was capable
of achieving. He was obsessed with this desire. He
ate, slept, and walked with one and only dream: to
die, having accomplished every single thing he
was able to accomplish.
There were so many things he could do. He felt
like the whole world could be his, if he only set his
mind to it. At times, he was even horrified by the
powers hiding in his mind and heart. He was
certain—in fact—he knew that his potential had no
limits. He knew that he could accumulate power
that would dwarf the power of ancient kings; he
knew that he could write books that would shake
the minds of generations to come; he knew that he
could invent things that would forever change the
lives of millions of people. He lived, constantly
feeling the power within—and that power knew no
bounds.
There was only one obstacle: having such a
potential, but only one life, he had to make a
choice. He had to decide where to apply all of his
enormous abilities. Making that decision was
extremely hard, for any choice meant cutting off
some future achievements. And so in the
meantime, he went to school, graduated, found a
respectable well-paid job, married, and bred
children. And he spent every minute of his spare
time trying to decide where he should apply all his
might. Even though he was not interested in
applying it to his work, his power was impossible
to hide. He was successful in everything he
touched, and he earned great respect of the people
who worked with him. And all the while, he
thought to himself: Imagine what I would achieve
once I concentrate entirely on the area of my
choice.
Time went by, and he grew older.
Some roads he used to dream about became
closed to him. But there was still so much he
could accomplish. And he kept thinking hard while
working, raising children, dealing with everyday
problems, and knowing that his potential had no
limits. And most people who knew him were of the
same opinion, for it was impossible not to realize
this, being around him for a while.
One day, a sudden chest pain made him come
home early. He dragged his feet to the bathroom.
There, feeling weak and empty, he looked in the
mirror. A worn-out, gray-haired man stared back
at him. But his eyes, though red and tired, were
still full of unrealized potential. He peered into
these eyes and, all of a sudden, realized one
simple truth. The next moment, the pain pierced
his heart again, and it stopped beating forever.
Everybody cried, even those who knew him only
slightly. The pain of this loss was staggering. Not
only had he been a good man but they also knew
what great potential had died with him. True, he
had spent his life trying to make the choice, but
imagine what would’ve happened had he made it.
After all, he was so close to making it, and he
hadn’t been that old. He could not have had this
feeling of unlimited potential for nothing. His
potential was truly unlimited. The choice was
about to be made, and very soon he could have
achieved anything. His life could have become a
shining monument, which would have forever
inspired future generations. What a loss! What a
tragedy! They cried and cried and cried. And they
didn't know what he had realized the moment
before he died.
The truth that came upon him was rather simple.
People only flatter themselves by thinking that they
could have achieved this or that if not for such-
and-such circumstances. Yet this is nothing but
delusion. At any given moment, as long as you've
been healthy and haven’t been thrown into the
midst of war, crime or forces of nature, you always
achieve everything you can. You simply lack
something that is necessary for achieving that goal
you've never reached—a talent, a skill, willpower, a
set of priorities, or something else. Like it or not,
realize it or not, believe it or not, but you simply
lack it. You just think you've got what it takes, and
only these insurmountable difficulties have
prevented you from reaching the ultimate heights.
But in reality, what you don't achieve is something
you're not capable of achieving.
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