There is an inspiring quote by the late cartoonist, Charles M. Schultz, which states, “Life is like a ten-speed bicycle. Most of us have gears we never use".  What intrigued me about this quote is that it reminded me of the untapped or unused potential that we all have.  I think we tend to use our extra gears when we are faced with an obstacle or the need to overcome something.  In those opportune times when we are faced with limited options our mind will help us overcome that which we are presented with.  Our survival skills kick in and then it is a matter of time before everything falls into place.  It is great to think that we could use all of the gears that are available to us at any given time, which would enable us to reach for levels of greatness that are beyond what we could imagine.  So the question then becomes, what is holding us back?  Although that is something we all have to answer for ourselves, there are things that we can do to obtain this optimum level of functioning.  Because our mind can be both our greatest ally and foe, we must begin by letting ourselves believe that we can achieve.  Having positive reinforcement in our language and attitude can make the biggest difference in how we succeed at this.  Practicing and saying out loud to ourselves that we are capable rather than stating the opposite will help us further along in our path.  Eliminating distractions or voices around you that put little faith in you, is also essential to your success.  Learn to speak possibility and allow yourself to climb further while using up those gears that have been hidden inside of you.