how can we know our potential?& also how can we improve that?

Answer 1

Your potential is determined by:

1. Your basic, God-given equipment. That includes your body, your brain, and your birth family.
2. The degree of development of that equipment. Your education. Are you an athlete or a couch potato?
3. Your opportunities.
4. Your motivation and imagination.

1. You don't choose your equipment. But you can honestly evaluate your equipment and decide what it's best suited for. If you have no legs, you're not likely to be an Olympic runner. Your potential is probably highest in the areas for which you are best equipped. If you were born into a family of means or a family which cares a lot about you, you'll likely have better educational opportunities available to you.
2. If all your ancestors are notable athletes but you never exercise, you greatly lower your potential as an athlete.
3. You didn't choose the country or culture into which you were born. If your culture forces you to blow yourself up to kill others, the consequences to your potential are obvious.
4. This is what makes the biggest difference. What's the best you can do with what you have? Are you willing to work at it? Are you willing to inspire others to help you?

Maslow's Heirarchy of Needs just tells you when you can move beyond worrying about your own needs. You won't care about Olympic medals or Nobel Prizes or even food if you don't have air to breathe.

Answer 2

Well, according to Maslow's Heirarchy of Needs, it is "simply" a case of working your way up the pyramid of needs.

Base needs are things like air, food, and sex.
Next there are Safety needs: job security, personal safety, property.
Then Love/Belonging: friendship, family, sexual intimacy.
Esteem: confidence, respect of others and by others.
Finally, there is Self-Actualisation: lack of prejudice, creativity, morality, learning, beauty.

It is not neccessary to achieve all these needs, merely to address them satisfactorily. For example, food is pretty crucial, but some people become celibate as a way of addressing the need for sex.

Once all the needs are addressed, you are a fully self-actualised person, capable of fulfilling his/her potential.
According to Maslow, such a person will objectively embrace the facts of their environment (rather than trying to deny or avoid them), will be spontaneous, creative, honest, and compassionate, will be interested in solving problems (their own and others') and will be empathic, and they will have a personal system of morals independent of external authority.

Answer 3

by never being satisfied with the gaols you have reached always go for the next step up.