Tales of Potential: Top 10 Takeaways
Tales of Potential: The Cinderella Story You Haven’t Heard by Joanna Bloor was a quick and informative read with some nuggets of goodness liberally sprinkled throughout.
I’ve followed Joanna for more than a few years and recently had the pleasure of speaking with her regarding one of my latest projects. From her website, “Joanna Bloor is a potentialist who has transformed thousands of lives worldwide” and she wrote the book to highlight that “The reframed story has much to teach modern professionals about the true nature of ambition, courage, risk-taking, generosity, and the key actions to take if you want to manifest your most sparkling future self.”
As I read the book, I was thinking about what I want for myself, what I want to share in my Navigating Life After 40 continuing education class for Stanford University in April, and to support some of the ideas I’ve been ruminating on. It was a lot to focus on at the same time, so my summary is just as much for me as it is for you.
- Get clear on the value of the Future You as you understand the Now You and the Near You. “What’s going on now? (Now You). What’s happening soon and how do we need to prepare for it? (Near You). What do you want to happen in the future? (Future You).” “If you’re only investing in what needs doing today, you’ll find it hard to build a future.”
- “Getting sh*t done is what you’re known for…when you’re a GSD girl, you’re not teaching people to value you. You’re teaching people to give you more sh*t to do…Teach people how you think as much as what you do, and then you’ll be known for both.”
- “Ambition is about acting on your beliefs and making a meaningful impact — whoever you are, whatever you are, whatever your title — even when the people around you make it super hard to do that.” Ask of yourself, “My ambition is to…”
- “Get yourself a squad. Squads pick you up when you’re down. Squads rally around you to help. With a squad, you’ve got people reminding you, I’ve got you, And I know you can do this. Just move forward.”
- “If you have a goal, it helps to keep it firmly in sight.”
- “If you can’t see a clear path forward, you find ways to use what you have in a way it wasn’t intended…Unknowns are par for the course.”
- “Cultivate courage. [Zero] in on what can go right. Pay attention to what’s working and go!”
- “Change creates ambiguity. Embrace ambiguity. Experiment and see what might work. When no one else knows what might happen, you have the space to make mistakes and teach you unforgettable lessons.”
- “You are ready for anything that happens…don’t worry about what others are thinking. Care only about what’s right for you.”
- “Authentic…means putting yourself out there just the way you are.”
Did any of these resonate with you? Are you inspired to change how your think, what you pursue, or how you operate as a result? If so, let me know in the comments or drop me a line at pilotingyourlife@gmail.com.
Note: all bolded, italicized quotes are from the book. I’ve taken the liberty of making some minor changes for ease of communication and have kept the integrity of the author’s intent.
Next up: Atomic Habits by James Clear.
About the Author
Terri Hanson Mead is the multi-award winning author of Piloting Your Life, Managing Partner of Solutions2Projects, LLC, travel journalist, and an advocate for women through all of her platforms including YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and this blog. Terri, the mother of a college sophomore and recent college graduate, is based in Redwood City, CA and in her spare time, loves to travel, cook, play tennis, and fly helicopters around the San Francisco Bay Area, especially under the Golden Gate Bridge. Oh, and she loves a good craft cocktail!
