I think this photo I took with my iPhone of the fireworks display for Brisbane’s River Festival is one of the best.  Without understanding where I am coming from, you will likely disagree.

I was cruising along on my personal CityCat yacht with 40 of my closest friends when I saw this rusty old barge floating in the middle of the river.  My initial thoughts gravitated towards hazardous chemicals, unwanted trash, or simply anchored out of the way for eventual demolition.  I questioned the judgment of city council to keep this water hazard in plain view as thousands lined the river and more glued themselves to the TV In preparation for the night’s pyrotechnic display.

However, I realised when I encountered two other barges that I was seeing one of three weapons caches for that night’s fireworks display.  The revelation got me thinking about how we see potential in others, and how I see potential in myself.

You are more than what is seen

What do you feel people see when they pass by you on the river?  What do you see when you look at your reflection in the water?  Hazardous chemicals that can damage and hurt? Smelly, offensive trash? Or just an old rust bucket floating around until you sink?  You are more than appearances, more than what is perceived.  Each of us has a fireworks cache of potential just waiting to go off.

Get excited about potential as much as you celebrate the display

We are such an unbelieving people.  We line up en mass to see the pretty lights and explosions of someone crossing the finish line, closing the big deal, or winning [insert country] Idol or Biggest/Thinnest Loser.  If we knew without a doubt that that person would be the one, would we not cheer them from the moment they decided to make a go of it?  If we believed in the potential in people as much as we celebrated their win, the path to glory would be a lot less lonely for so many.

Do not let perceptions get in the way of preparation

What if the people setting up the barge shared my initial view?  What if that perception impacted their efforts, to where the fireworks display felt as though it was coming from an old rusty barge?  Studies show that the perceptions of other’s do not have as big an impact as you might think.  Rather, it is our assessment of their perceptions that we use to define ourselves.  These same studies show that we create a self-fulfilling reality by projecting our assumptions on others, prescribing how they think about us.  Look past the rust, past the assumptions in yourself and others and apply yourself to the potential that is there.

This week

Personally, I get more excited about the barges in life than the fireworks displays.  My blood starts pumping when I hear about a person or organisation embarking a new opportunity or challenge.  I am also happy to celebrate in the end fireworks display, but for me the fun has already happened.  I respect that we are all wired differently, but perhaps this week try to look for the rust barges, and see what may be beyond your initial perceptions in others, and yourself.