Untapped Potential

Yesterday, a beloved former student of mine passed away due to complications from the Corona Virus. He was 37, no underlying health issues. Of course my heart breaks for his husband and his Mother. My heart also breaks for his unmet potential. He was so talented and smart. He was literally the definition of a person who had everything going for him. I mourn the loss of his potential. He could have had such a continued impact on the world of Art and the community around him. His loss makes me reflect on untapped potential. Each one of us has deep resources of potential that we are here to explore and use to the benefit of our respective communities. I think of all the potential opportunities that have come and gone in my life without me tapping into them. Regardless of the surrounding circumstances, I am reflecting on a missed opportunity to teach in Bermuda. We can all deepen our experiences here on this Earth by using our imagination to explore our potential. Even if we just talk and muse about taking a job in Montana or pursuing a sabbatical in Europe, the actual putting words to the potential helps us reach it. We may not ever move to Montana or Colorado. We may never take a sabbatical in Europe or Asia, but the idea of exploring our imaginations out loud and sharing them brings a different version of them to fruition into our here and now. The questions I ask myself and all of us: What does our imagination want us to explore? What does our heart desire we delve into? There is only today, tomorrow is not promised.