Encouragement: The Key To Unlocking Potential

Written by Aaron Fullan

Did you ever have dreams or aspirations of becoming President of the United States of America?
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I sure didn’t.

When I was young, I simply aspired to do two things...

​1.) Travel the Oregon Trail and lead my very own wagon party. (For some reason, that one never panned out?)

2.) Study to become a marine biologist and an oceanographer. (Then I watched “Jaws” and that dream became a nightmare.)
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However, about 8 years ago, a more realistic aspiration began to surface.

How did it come about?

Well, let me tell you.

At a very young age, I took a keen interest in music. My parents, after observing this interest, encouraged me to take piano lessons starting at the age of 8 and I have passionately pursued music ever since.

Proverbs 22: 6 states, “Train up a child in the way he should go and even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Some take this verse to simply imply the importance of moral instruction. However, I believe it is also alluding to the importance of knowing your child’s strengths and encouraging him/her to use those strengths wholeheartedly for the Lord!

One of the saddest sights to behold are parents who decide early on what they want their children to be when they grow up. Instead of keeping a close watch on what their children may be gifted at or uniquely suited for, they live out their dreams vicariously through their children.

So let me ask you… in what areas of life are your children showing great interest and promise? Are you intentionally looking for those areas? If you haven’t yet, please start today! Who knows what God might have in store?

My parents saw musical potential in me and encouraged me to see how far I could rise to that potential. I still have a long way to go, but as one of my good friends always tells me, “Never despise small beginnings.”

At the end of my senior year of high school, my dad made a significant financial investment to take me to see two musicians I never dreamed I would see in person – the famous film scorer, John Williams, and the world-renown cellist, Yo-Yo Ma. I can’t tell you how much that meant to me. Even though my dad wasn’t overly excited about the concert, he knew that it would mean the world to me. To this day, that trip into Chicago remains one of the finest and warmest memories I have with my dad.

John Williams’ work became the inspiration behind the long road of my journey as a composer. And believe it or not, last week was his 84th birthday! In honor of his many years of work, I created a short film about his life and personal impact on my life. My goal is to somehow get this video to reach Mr. Williams’ computer screen! I figure if enough people share it, someone who knows him might bother to send it to him. :)

You can watch the video by clicking below:














Thanks for watching!

If you get anything out of this post and the video above, please remember this:

God has specifically instructed us as parents to train our children in the way they should go. The journey is unique for each and every child, but one thing is for certain: without the keen interest and encouragement from their parents, their journey might fall dreadfully short of their potential.

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