Ep. 75 - Hidden Potential: 3 Signs You're Meant for More

In Part 2 of the Unlock Your Potential series, Dr. Lee Koles dives into the concept of hidden potential and the subtle, science-backed signs that you’re capable of more than you’re currently experiencing.

This episode breaks down what hidden potential really is, why it often goes unrecognized, and how it shows up in ways most people overlook.

By the end of this episode, you’ll understand:

• What “hidden potential” actually means and the gap between where you are and what’s possible
 • Why that persistent inner voice keeps coming back and what it’s trying to tell you
 • How feelings like boredom, restlessness, frustration or even shame can signal untapped growth
 • The “plateau effect” and why comfort can quietly stall your progress
 • How talking about your ideas out loud increases follow-through and momentum
 • Three clear signs that you’re meant for more and how to start recognizing them in your own life

If you’ve been questioning whether you’re playing small, feeling stuck in something that looks “fine” on the surface, or sensing there’s something more for you, this episode will give you the clarity to start paying attention to what’s already there.

Transcript

Hidden Potential: The Signs You’re Meant for More

Hello, everyone! Welcome to The Potentialist Podcast! I’m your host, Dr. Lee Koles. I’m a psychologist, executive coach and CliftonStrengths expert specializing in the science of human potential. 

Welcome to Part 2 of my three-part Unlock Your Potential series. We’re taking a deep dive into the science of success so you can understand, unlock, and fully step into your potential. In Part 1 we debunked the myths you’ve been believing about yourself and what you can accomplish. If you haven’t listened to that yet, you’re going to want to - it helps to illuminate all that is possible for you.

Today’s episode - Part 2 - is a juicy one. It involves a certain voice that follows you around and does not stop talking. It says things like:

“What am I gonna do next?”

“Is this it?”

“I could do that.”

Or, maybe your voice is saying:

“It’s time to -.”

…uplevel my career.

…make that move.

…start my own business.

…take it to the next level.

…truly embrace life.

This is the voice of your hidden potential.

This episode is about the potential that you have within you that you’re not yet using. You can call it “unrealized”, “hidden” - but either way, it’s THERE, waiting to be unlocked. 

But how can you tell if you’re meant for more - or if you’re just talking to yourself? Today, we’re going to discuss the signs of that brewing potential, so by the end of this episode, you’ll have the clarity and confidence to acknowledge the talents that you have within you and take that first step towards doing what you’ve been wanting to do for so long.

Are you ready? Let’s do this.

First of all, what exactly is hidden potential? I think of it as your ability to achieve greater success. It’s when you’re capable of more, and your promise hasn’t been realized…YET. 

Hidden potential highlights that gap between what IS and what it COULD BE.

It takes on different forms - and we can more easily spot it in others. We all have that friend or that family member who is incredibly smart or talented or athletic but doesn’t seem to be using their strengths to their fullest capacity:

• Someone who has an innovative business idea, but can’t seem to take the first step.
• The friend who stays in a job that feels safe instead of pursuing work that feels meaningful.
• That relative who ignores her incredible creative talents and sticks with the same ‘ol same ol’.

You know what I’m talking about. We all have people in our lives who walk around with untapped potential.

So, let me voice the question that plagues so many of us: “Am I wasting my potential?”

How do you know when you’re playing small? It’s not always obvious - especially when life looks “fine” on the outside. The truth is, hidden potential isn’t always loud. More often, it shows up in subtle ways. I’m going to share 3 science-backed signs that are there to alert you to the fact that, YES - you ARE meant for more. You have hidden potential that is waiting to be unleashed.

Here we go with Sign #1:

The first sign that you’re meant for something more is, You hear it.

You hear it in your head.

Yeah - the voice I was just talking about. The one in your head. That COUNTS.

Author Robert McKee said, “If the muse exists, she does not whisper to the untalented.” 

I love this quote. Soak it in again: “If the muse exists, she does not whisper to the untalented.”

That voice pulling at your attention. It’s: 

An idea. A direction. A possibility.

You try to move on… and it comes back.

And that’s not random.

Your brain is wired to conserve energy. It’s not going to fixate on something unless it has a reason. When something keeps resurfacing, it’s usually because it matters—to you.

And here’s where people get it wrong.

They assume:
 “If this were real potential, I’d already be doing it.”

That’s simply not true.

An idea, a direction, a possibility will begin as a persistent thought before it becomes action.

And you’re going to think this thought, over and over.

This voice is persistent - and at least at first, you’re not going to know what to do with it. You may not like it. It may feel like your enemy or your tormentor. 

But your hidden potential is not here to scold you or to torment you. It’s not trying to make you feel bad. It’s the part of you that knows what you’re capable of. And it calls you out when you’re playing small. Yours may say:

“I can do more than this.” - or - 

“I can take my team to the next level.” - or -

“What would it look like to start my own business?”

Believe it or not, this voice is good-intentioned. It wants the best for you. 

It’s not judging you. It’s calling you. Not to shame you, but to wake you up. Because it knows:

You have so much more to offer. And you’re the only one who can take yourself to where you’re truly meant to go.

This voice is an invitation.

It’s the most honest, hopeful part of you calling you toward your next chapter. It’s asking you to show up and expand into the version of yourself that exists just outside the lines you’ve been living in.

You can ignore the invitation; don’t open the envelope. Just leave it sealed and put it in your stack of to-do’s. You can tell yourself that you’ll open it later. 

How you’re going to RSVP is up to you. But know this: it’s calling you forward - not to be perfect, but to expand into what you’re meant to be.

Want another sign you’re meant for something more? This one is big and often misunderstood:

The second sign is: You’re feeling the feels.

This may sound obvious, but it’s really important: You’re feeling a certain way. A particular kind of discomfort. 

For example, your hidden potential may show up as boredom or restlessness. Ask yourself right now: Are you feeling bored? or restless? 

If so, that’s an indicator of the “plateau effect” - you WERE growing, but now you’re not. Now, you’re going through the motions, doing the same thing each day. And something is missing - you’re not learning anything new, you’re on repeat, like Groundhog Day. And that feels comfortable until… it’s not.

The Goldilocks principle of stress states that —too little challenge leads to boredom and disengagement. And too much leads to burnout. Growth lives in the middle.

So when you feel that low-grade restlessness, that’s often a signal that your current environment is no longer stretching you.

You’ve outgrown it.

Your hidden potential may feel like a pang in your heart when you see someone else doing what you want to do - what you KNOW you can do - but you keep putting it off.

My big emotion when I’m not using my potential - when I’m allowing it to stay hidden is: annoyance. I get so annoyed at myself for not doing what I’m sure I really can do.  

The whole time I was away from this podcast I wanted to be doing this podcast. It really bothered me not to be on the mic, sharing new ideas with you. I missed that and I missed meeting new people, and I missed introducing them to all of you. I missed the excitement and the growth of it all.

And I didn’t just feel annoyed. I felt frustrated. And I felt ashamed - like, “Lee, what are you doing? You’re wasting time!” “Get back out there!”

It did not feel good. Charles Schultz, the creator of the Peanuts cartoon summed up this blend of feelings so well. He said, “There is no heavier burden than an unfulfilled potential.” 

What emotions come up for you when you feel your hidden potential? Go ahead - say it out loud - I’ll wait. There is a power of saying something out loud - even if it’s just to me.

Here’s what’s important to know: This burden - this heavy feeling - it's ok. You’re going to be ok. That negative feeling you’ve identified is actually not a problem. It’s information.

The discomfort you feel when thinking about stretching yourself isn’t a red flag.

It’s a sign of growth.

So, when you’re feeling bored, restless, frustrated, irritated, ashamed, take it as a signal. A signal that - YES, you ARE meant for more. 

Now you can be curious about the signal. That feeling - that signal - is calling your attention to something. Ask yourself,  “What is this pointing me toward?”

When you view your feelings as signals, and you listen to them instead of fight them, something shifts. You realize that you and your potential are on the same team. 

Our first two signs of hidden potential are happening inside of you. Our 3rd sign is an external one: One of your inner thoughts comes out - of your own mouth. 

You bring it up in conversations.

Maybe casually. Maybe half-joking.

But it slips out.

You say things like:
 “I’ve always thought about…”
 “One day I’d like to…”
 “It would be amazing if…”

Pay attention to that.

Because we don’t talk repeatedly about things we don’t care about.

We talk about what we’re trying to make sense of.

We talk about what we’re circling - what we’re not yet allowing ourselves to fully claim.

Have you done this? If so, please give yourself some credit, because it’s an important step to go from hearing something in your own head to hearing something because it’s slipping out of your own mouth. 

It’s a critical step because you’re articulating what you want. You’re putting yourself out there, sharing your vision, expressing your hope for the future - with other people. Give yourself some points for being vulnerable. That’s YOU challenging yourself, pushing yourself to make these thoughts REAL. It’s you urging yourself to become accountable for these words. 

The American Society of Training and Development has done a TON of research on accountability and here’s what they’ve found: If you have an idea or goal, like, “I’m going to uplevel my career by taking on a new leadership role,” If you have this idea and state it to yourself, there’s a 10% chance that you will achieve that goal. 

But something shifts when you state your idea or goal out loud to someone else. If you tell your partner or your friend, “I am going to uplevel my career by taking on a new leadership role,” the chance of you achieving that goal jumps to 65%. Your potential is no longer in hiding - and you state to yourself and others that you’re ready for more. You’re going to be more accountable and more likely to follow through if you talk about a goal with another person.

I did this when I was trying to step back into podcasting. I told people I was going to start it up again. That was hard to do, but I felt it was necessary - I knew I needed that accountability push.

And here we are! You’re listening to my podcast right now! That hidden potential was unlocked. And if I can do it, you can too. Who knows what you’ll accomplish when you reach for more. 

You were meant for great things. You would NOT be listening to a podcast called, “The Potentialist Podcast” if you were satisfied with living small. I want you to remember to take inventory of these 3 signs you’re meant for something more:

One - You hear the voice urging you along, pushing you toward something that may be difficult or challenging, but that you know will ultimately be fulfilling.

Two - You’re feeling the feels. And it’s not comfortable. It could be boredom, restlessness, frustration, or - like me - you could be ashamed that you’re not doing what you could or should be doing.

Three - You let that voice in your head slip out and you say what you’re thinking to someone else. That can feel scary, vulnerable, but it’s a sign that you’re moving forward. Just confirming to yourself that - “YES, I do have unrealized potential - I AM made for more” - is going to set you up for success. You are now primed to unlock your talents, your strengths and achieve remarkable things. 

I hope you can feel that within yourself - your promise and your greatness. Seriously - I can feel that for you. This acknowledgement is the beginning. You’re setting the stage for what’s to come. 

Speaking of “what’s to come” - my next episode is “Part 3 of my Unlock Your Potential” series where you’ll hear that “click” as you confidently move forward and take action. 

Until then, remember that you already have everything you need inside you. I’m just here to help you unleash it. 

Take good care and we’ll talk again soon.