My Name is Danielle, and I am a recovering potentiality addict.

Used to be that if I could see potential in a situation (and I see it everywhere), I couldn’t keep my mouth shut about it. I couldn’t keep my hands off of it or my heart out of it. I’d want to knock down walls, raise capital, convert beliefs, lead all kinds of metaphorical horses to the water. I can see it! This could be soooo good!

Potential. A gift. A curse.

Don’t fall in love with it.

Fall in love with what is.

Love your city and love it hard — the spirit of the people, the quality of light, its place in the nation — and then work to improve it.

Love your lover and love them how they are today — and tomorrow you can go further together.

Love the people on your crew, how they think and how they give — and then figure out how you’re going to prosper as a team.

The dark side of potential is a sense of deficiency. No place, or person, or project wants to hear this: “I love what you could be.”

Discriminate.

Have the courage to suspend the dream so you can see reality. @DanielleLaPorte (Click to Tweet!)

Build on sincere love.

I love what you are … let’s go places together.

Danielle LaPorte is the outspoken creator of The Desire Map, author of The Fire Starter Sessions (Random House/Crown), and co-creator of Your Big Beautiful Book Plan. An inspirational speaker, former think tank exec and business strategist, she writes weekly at DanielleLaPorte.com, where over a million visitors have gone for her straight-up advice — a site that’s been deemed “the best place on-line for kick-ass spirituality”, and was named one of the “Top 100 Websites for Women” by Forbes.

You can also find her on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter @daniellelaporte.