Potential

Potential is one of my favorite words. I don't know how to define it. It seems to me that potential is the ability or power or capability for growth. That may not be the "right" definition, but it's the one I'm going to roll with.

I have potential. Potential to be a good father; to have more faith; to be more patient; to he more humble; to be more honest; to be, overall, better. I won't be a father for a while. But a mentor reminded me many times that it is my duty while living in this life to become better. Especially in this age, with the family under attack constantly. My duty is to prepare myself for whatever comes. Before being a father though, I am an Elder. And before that, I was a Boy Scout, and since you never really stop being a boy scout, it is my duty to be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, reverent, and prepared.

I have the potential to become many things. I have the potential to be great or terrible. I have the potential to be astounding or dim. I have as much potential as any one else does on the planet. And recognizing that fact is almost intimidating.

I have the potential and am working to become a good future father. And a great future husband. I want to be an author, a novelist, but saying those words doesn't define it. Saying I'm a writer is a vast understatement of what I actually do. I'm an inventor, a curator, a researcher, a worker, a swordsman, a knight, a nobleman, a king, a woman, a lady, a sniper, a queen, a king. Within my mind rests the ability and potential to create vast kingdoms, enchanted lands, deep stories, vast and huge worlds that are filled with wonder and excitement and danger and sadness and joy.

When I say I'm a writer, what I'm saying is that I am a creator. I create. And I have the potential to become a better creator. I have the potential to create worlds and stories and characters that make people feel more than they have in a while. I have the potential ability to infuse emotions into words. And that is the magic of writing. That's the potential of words. That's the ability of the writer. It takes little skill to put words onto a page. It takes great effort to fuse soul into letter, emotion into sentence, and power into a story, setting, world, or character.

Potential. Don't underestimate it. Don't underestimate yours.