Discovering The Beauty Within

We've all heard the old expression: "Take time to smell the roses." The power of this simple concept was brought home to me many years ago and it is something that I've never forgotten.

After getting my graduate degree I was packing up boxes and getting ready to move. I was going through some personal keepsakes that I'd collected over the years and among my momentous from my earlier years was an ugly little spheroidal rock called a geode.

As I turned over it over in my hand, it struck me how this unusual stone mirrors life. Rough and unattractive on the outside, but inside the geode is a crystal lining of quartz or calcite. Unfortunately the inner beauty of the stone will never be seen unless it is placed under stress and opened up to allow the true beauty of the gemstone to shine through.

When a geologist finds a geode, he or she may keep it for years without ever opening it to unlock its true potential beauty. The holder of the stone can only imagine what is inside.

Sadly many people are like geodes. They may live their entire lives without ever reaching their true potential because they are unwilling or unable to open up and see the dormant potential that could be released by taking control of their lives and leaving behind the ugly crust of the past.

I still have that rock and I keep it on my desk. Sometimes I will look at it and let my mind wander, contemplating the similarities between the rock and so many human beings. It is a reminder to me that the same beauty that exists in the geode lives within every one of us. We must only release our innate creativity to discover it.

When we begin to realize the inner potential that lies within us, through the application of self-development principles, new doors of opportunity are opened to us. Once we take the time to discover the true potential that lies within all of us, we will be better prepared to take advantage of this unique power and achieve our goals.

Now I'm not saying that discovering this rock is what changed my life and put me on the path to success. There were many other factors as well, but it did cause me to think more deeply and want to do more discovery into why so many people never achieve happiness and success in their life.

Through more learning and experience I was able to define my purpose. Which is devoting my life to helping people around the world uncover their true potential and use it to create a more successful and happier life.

You too, can discover a gem, if you "take the time to smell the roses," to discover and appreciate the potential that lies within you.