In the last few months, I have written about several famous people from Maine, for example, Senator Margaret Chase Smith, and writers Mary Ellen Chase and Kenneth Roberts. There are many other famous people I plan to profile in the future, including Edmund Muskie and Joshua Chamberlain. But I thought it was equally important to pause and consider what makes a person worthy of writing about.
Every person is born with the potential to succeed, to create, to contribute in their own unique way to their families and to their society as a whole. Yet there are millions of people who do not live up to their potential, do not succeed, create, or contribute. So, there has to be more than just potential to make a person successful.
In addition to potential ability, there must be an inner strength, confidence, motivation, and the lack of fear of the unknown or of change, in order for anyone to forge ahead and become a great leader or innovator in his or her field.
Some may argue that these traits are part of a person's personality--something that is inborn--that some people are just more adventurous or aggressive in their approach to life than others.
But it can also be argued that the characteristics listed above have a lot more to do with upbringing (environment) and individual experiences in life. Potential may be inborn, but behavior is learned.
If, like Margaret Chase Smith, one is the oldest child in a family, is expected to do more, produce more, and help maintain the family in the absence of a parent, one will likely internalize those expectations and in turn, expect more from oneself. One will take risks, attempt new things, and accomplish more.
With each success, there comes confidence, the belief that the next time, in the next situation, there will also be success. That confidence allows the individual to explore, to take risks, to make changes. These are the people who blaze a trail for others to follow.
In addition, in order to be an innovator or pioneer in any field, one must embrace change, be stimulated by the possibilities and the potential of the next unknown situation. Fear of change, or of the unknown, paralyzes, leaves people "stuck in a rut", unwilling to leave a job where there is no satisfaction, unable to explore the challenges of a new career, a new town, or a new relationship.
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