The Gift

2020 has been the year you probably want to forget, but maybe not. This week, millions of people will celebrate Christmas by opening gifts, and even though this year will be different because of limited travel and family gatherings it is still a time of joy for most people.

Have you ever gotten a gift that you didn’t really care for?

What about a gift you loved but you never quite figured out how to use or get the most out of, maybe a musical instrument or some sort of tool?

My kids are constantly teaching me how to use my MacBook… they know how to get more out of it than I do because they have grown up with technology where I didn’t see my first computer until I went to college. Yes, I am that old.

There are gifts under the tree we get excited about, but we have to open them to find out what is inside. Then we have to read the instructions to really learn how to use it, maybe even add some batteries or power.

Many of these gifts will be tossed aside or re-gifted to someone else within a few days, will they not?

How many of you know that story in your home? It happens all over the world, I am sure.

I am not here to talk about the gifts under the tree. I want to remind you about the gift we have all been given.

I call it the gift of Abundant Potential.

I believe that like those gifts under the tree we have been given a gift that is not fully opened, where the full and abundant potential can be realized.

Here we are at the end of another year and many people, probably many of you will begin to reflect on how difficult 2020 has been. It has been one that most will never forget.

However, some of us will ask ourselves why I did not do more? Or how can next year be better? And some will grow and get better, but what I see in many lives, some 2/3rds of people will throw the gift to the side and live at less than their full potential.

Millions or billions of years ago this earth was created by a force, a creative force. You all have different views; I just happen to believe in God. I believe that God was that creative force.

And this earth was created with an infinite amount of abundant potential. I don’t have time to share all of the amazing realities of this potential. I was called to bring forth this potential in the greatest creation God made…. YOU!!!

Let’s examine the potential you and I have.

GO outside and look for an acorn. First, we must understand a few things about the acorn. 

The acorn was created with all of the energy and potential it needs to achieve its full value; God created inside this seed an abundance of potential. 

Second, the acorn must undergo a process of some 30 plus years to achieve its fullest potential of an awesome beautiful acorn producing shade tree. It reproduces itself, millions of times over during its lifetime.

I was always looking outside myself for strength and confidence, but it comes from within.
It is there all the time. ~Anna Freud

I want to share with you the 4 stages of growth an acorn must undertake, and we must undertake to live in our greatness and full potential as a leader. The stages align with the stages of leadership, and if we follow them, we will, someday, somewhere will be set under the shade of our leadership legacy talking about how beautiful and comfortable we are during a tough summer day.

Stage 1:  Planting this is like wrapping the gift...an acorn must first be planted in fertile soil before it can begin the growth process. Think about this planting process though...a hole is dug, a dark hole, a dirty hole, a wet and scary hole with worms and ants, if it’s in my yard moles too. It must be protected and fertilized, watered…it must break out of its hard shell.

God planted a big seed of potential in you…he wrapped in you an abundance of potential…do you see that?

This acorn was created and called to produce a tree.

That is what it was designed to become. 

The acorn inside its shell has all of the energy, all of the abundance it needs to begin the next stage in its life.

Just like this future reproducing tree...potential is planted as a seed.

Stage 2: Sprouting…this is the unwrapping of the gift

Just like the acorn...this abundant potential must begin to sprout.

We must put our self into an environment that allows us to sprout. This means breaking out of the dark, breaking thru the hard outer shell we carry as human beings…breaking thru the limiting beliefs we hold because of those who come along to push us back into the dark hole, maybe like an acorn as a dog comes by this sprouting tree…someone may come along and attempt to rain on your parade as a leader.

Stage 3:  Growing …this is reading the directions, learning more about our self and what we are called to become.

Just like the acorn...our potential will be tested as it grows.

Storms, winds, fires, and chainsaws will come along, that will try to take down the tree that is growing. The tree will have to withstand these storms to reach its full potential.

For you to grow into your full potential you will have to endure the storms, fights, lies, knives stuck in your back.

I coach leaders every single day…if you are going to lead, you are going to bleed. Maybe you have bled a lot in 2020.

Stage 4.  Maturing

Just like the acorn...our potential only matures as we fight thru and learn to use the different gifts we have as a created being and then we begin to bear fruit and produce from our gifts and then leave a wonderful legacy.

Consider this during the lifetime of an acorn...One acorn has the potential to reproduce in its lifetime 70-150 thousand acorns per year from its tree, which results in millions of acorns during its lifetime of potential.

Do the math, millions.

My final thought. You are an acorn in the form of a human. You were created by the same inventor, the Grand Overall Designer, GOD.

If he put that kind of potential into this one acorn, and you were designed in the image of GOD… how many acorns are you left to produce?

When you look back at 2020 have you thrown the greatest gift to the side, have you left it wrapped, or have you re-gifted it to someone else’s dreams for your life.

The path to success is to take massive, determined action. ~ Tony Robbins

I say unwrap the greatest gift you have ever been given and sprout it, grow it and mature it and use the gift of abundant potential.

2021 will be great if you make it great, or you can fall to the ground and leave your potential to the worms.

Make 2021 the best year ever.

Also, check out our podcast on this topic. www.leadupodcast.com