In case you missed it, here is part one in our series of why you should be the best you can be. Below are five more reasons you must reach your full potential:

6. Be like the greatest, Ali
Why do we hate to see a boxer throw a fight? Because it is a lie. Because there is no heart. No courage. No emotion. He is not being true to his potential. And the feeling in the stadium is palpable. We feel empty, that we have been cheated. He didn’t even try. He just gave up!

You can’t say that about Ali!

Here was a man who was driven by a dream to be the best. He had the courage to take risks. He had a belief in himself; a determination to succeed. The willpower and persistence to put in all the hours of training to realise his greatness.

To discover the self, and develop it to its full realisation. That is our duty. -Oscar Wilde

7. Learn from nature – don’t lose what you already have
It is a law of nature. We are either growing or dying. A tree doesn’t reach a point only halfway to its potential and stop – it keeps going until it is fully grown. The bible states that “Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.”

What you don’t use, you will lose. When muscles are not used, they waste away and atrophy. Limbs that don’t move become inflexible and immobile. Hearts and lungs that aren’t challenged become weaker.

Our physical power is dependent on using the power we already possess. However, don’t let obstacles stop you. Understand there will be challenges and trials and, without them, we can’t get better. Without the trials we can’t develop our talents. Embrace the obstacles to become more.

A diamond is not polished without friction nor a man perfected without trials.

8. Be rewarded with greater power   
The more we give, the more we get. The more effort we put in, the more power we receive. The woman who wishes to get fit and lean must make use of the fitness she already has. The more she gives, the more fitness and vitality she will receive.

Simply start with what you have. Just try a little bit more; do a bit better than you did yesterday. Begin with small things you can do, and gradually you will accomplish more and more.

Your heart and lungs will develop greater capacity and efficiency. You will have more muscular strength and endurance, and greater resolve and determination. Life will reward you with more resources and capabilities. With each accomplishment, your confidence and self belief will increase.

Explore your mind, discover yourself, then give the best that is in you to your age and to your world. There are heroic possibilities waiting to be discovered in every person. -Wilfred Peterson

9. Feel better – don’t compare yourself with others
John Wooden is one of the greatest basketball coaches of all time and was inducted into the basketball hall of fame, both as a coach and a player. He lead UCLA to a total of ten NCAA national championships in a twelve year period, including seven in a row. Within this period, they also won a record 88 consecutive games.

His creed was to perform at your best when your best is required. And your best is required each day. One of his maxims was: Be the best you, that you can be! By this he meant it doesn’t matter how good the other person is; it only matters how good you are. You are compared to your own capability.

We are all endowed with different abilities and genetics. We can always strive to maximise our potential but it is often detrimental to compare ourselves with others. You are a success as long as you did the best that you were capable of.

I don’t believe you have to be better than everybody else. I believe you have to be better than you ever thought you could be. -Ken Venturi

10. If you don’t try your best you will never know…
You will never know what you could have achieved if you don’t try your best. You will not get to experience what it is like for your body to realise its full potential.

What were you physically capable of becoming? Just how fit and how strong could you have been?

The force of life is seeking expression through you. If you stop that you are unable to receive any more, and you are killing a part of yourself. The world will miss out on your unique contribution. Your piece of art and your vitality. Your solution to a problem.

Listen to that desire that resides inside you. The desire to be more. To experience more. To test your capabilities. To take the challenge. To discover what you are made of. Dare yourself to go for it. Be creative. Don’t give up. Be persistent. Begin the adventure.

“The worst thing one can do is not to try, to be aware of what one wants and not give in to it, to spend years in silent hurt wondering if something could have materialized – and never knowing” -David Viscott

So why even bother to be the best you can be?
Why not?
Why not you?
Why not now?

These are the questions to ask yourself when all is said and done:
Did you do all you could with what you were given?
Did you use the gifts life has given you? Your intellectual, physical, and spiritual gifts.
Or did you sacrifice your gifts by giving less than your best!

Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be. -George Sheehan