Not one of us ever dreams of all the possibilities of his life. The plainest of us carries concealed splendours within him. If we knew what noble qualities are lying undeveloped within us, what powers are waiting to be called out, what few things we may achieve in the years before us, it ought to inspire us to our best life and effort. Perhaps no one ever does reach in this world all that he might attain. –
The Awakening of Life's Glory, in A Heart's Garden
Most people employ but a fragment of the capacity of their life and then allow great measure of capacity to lie undeveloped, and in the end to atrophy. A volume could be filled with a description of a human hand, its wonderful structure, and the things it can be trained to do. Yet how many hands ever reach the limit of their possible achievements? Think of the powers folded up in a human brain and of the little of these powers most of us ever bring out in life. Now and then a man starts in ignorance and poverty and reaches greatness in ability and in achievement which amazes the world. Doubtless thousands and thousands who never attain anything beyond mediocrity have just as great natural capacity, but the splendid powers of their life are allowed to run to waste. They are lacking in energy and do only a little of what they might do. –
In That Which is Least, in The Book of Comfort