A concept had been incubating in my mind for months.
It was a nagging thought that I struggled to get into words. One day it was finally birthed, and out came this quote.
“The boundaries of potential expand when the extraordinary unceasingly becomes the ordinary.”
This quote applies to all areas of life whether it is our faith, relationships, work, family, fitness and many other facets. It applies to the accomplishments, the disappointments, the celebrations and the anguish of all life’s experiences.
Each person has a boundary that encompasses their potential. People tend to operate inside of this boundary and it is what I would call the ordinary. Each person has different boundaries and a different definition of what is extraordinary and ordinary to them.
You might have had to endure something extraordinarily difficult and over time it has become your ordinary. You might do something that I think is extraordinarily great, but to you, it is ordinary and is within your boundary of potential.
So how do we expand our own boundary of potential? We accomplish this expansion by making the extraordinary the ordinary and keep doing it for the rest of our lives. It is a cycle that continues to exchange our own definition of what is extraordinary and ordinary. As this cycle continues our boundary of potential expands.
I’ve been a recreational cyclist ever since I started peddling my first 3 speed huffy back in the era of flaunting chest hair, big gold chains, polyester and leisure suits. It is a safe assumption to say that my boundary of potential for cycling has expanded from then to now.
If I consistently ride 20 miles per week, I will build a certain level of endurance and fitness over time. However, if I consistently ride 100+ miles per week, my level of endurance and fitness will be much greater. Those who do not cycle would argue that 100 miles per week is nuts, it’s extraordinary! That is extraordinary to those who do not bike ride long distances. That is my ordinary.
Some might argue that cycling to the top of Pikes Peak to an elevation of 14,114 feet above sea level is extraordinary. During my own cycling ascent to the top of Pikes Peak, I met others who had made the trek several times over the years. It was an ordinary adventure to them, unlike the extraordinary experience I had.
I have a good friend who ministers to the families and the sick who are finishing their last few breaths of life. His boundary of potential to care for people is far beyond what most could offer. This is due to the extraordinary circumstances becoming his ordinary over time.
I could come up with countless examples of people I’ve met who have taken various aspects of life and turned the extraordinary into the ordinary. We all know people who make us stumble in awe of their great achievements or endurance of tough times.
At some point, their boundary of potential was expanded as the extraordinary unceasingly became their ordinary.