Pain of not fulfilling your potential

Remember that zeal in childhood when you were pretty sure you can do anything! When you were pretty sure you were special. Special at one thing that no one else can do better than you.

Now remember that time when to earn bread and butter you have to kill that same child within.

How painful it must be!

Can you relate to that pain?

You know you can be so much more. You know you were meant to live and die for bigger things.

But but but...

Due to one excuse or the other you have become a ghost of your best self.

You were meant to live for so much more but somewhere you have started living inside a shell.

What for?

To live a comfortable and safe life.

Another perspective

But there is one more angle to this conversation. And that is having someone dependent upon you.

When a loved one is dependent upon you for their sustenance then how can you take a leap into the unknown?

People spend their whole lives in service of their loved ones. People kill their dreams in service of their loved ones.

Why?

Because the smile on their faces, the laughter on their cheeks mean so much.

Likewise, I am willing to pay anything to see my loved ones smiling and laughing the way they used to before.

In fact, instead of having this ache of not fulfilling our potential we should be filled with gratitude that our loved ones are safe and sound because of us. We are getting stress-free time to spend with them, to go out on trips with them, to go out on dinner with them.

It is many people's dream to have a life like us.

So, replace that pain with gratitude. Then see how this life transforms.

Conclusion

Again, walk that middle path. Try to balance both your creative expression and professional & personal responsibilities.

Everyone is not made to achieve greatness.

And just in case you are, a door will open for you to take a leap of faith!

Till then keep treading that fine line.