Potency

“Always leave a place better than the way you found it.” I can hear my mom repeating this to me when I was growing up and even into adulthood. This was a small principle mentioned that helped me consider cleanliness and order. It was drilled in me so much that even to this day, if I travel to a hotel or an Airbnb where housekeeping is available, I still make an effort to tidy up and make the room presentable for housekeeping to do their job.

I have continued growing in this principle of leaving a place better than the way I found it with other areas of my life including my career, ministry, and other non-profit responsibilities. Principles can be manifold. What’s one of the lessons? Stewardship. Walking in stewardship causes us to manage resources well around us. The biggest takeaway for me has been that we carry potency. Think about the similarity of potency to potential. There is something so powerful, so unique, so lasting about us, where we can’t help leaving an imprint.

Like the fragrant smell of a beautiful ointment, perfume, or cologne, we can overwhelmingly impact an environment or with subtle notes leave hints. I think it is up to us and also reflective on what we bring that determines how we leave an environment better.

Brilliant ones, you and I are brilliant lights and uniquely potent. Release your potency and together, let’s continue making the world a better place.