A friend told me recently, "never bet on what people can be." I couldn't disagree more. If we only bet on sure things -- the way people are now, known entities, what is -- productive life would come to a standstill. I believe betting on potential is what living a full life is all about. In business we bet our futures on what prospective employees might be able to do for our companies, not just on what they have accomplished to date. In love, we bet on both the person we see before us and on that person's potential for the future. Sports teams hire for today but mostly for tomorrow. Even underachievers, and I was one in high school, get into good colleges based on the school's perception of potential. Potential opens up in strange ways. My friend might tell me that I can't count on people changing, growing, opening doors from the inside to let in new life possibilities, or even taking a risk. And I would say to my friend, "Yes, I may be disappointed at times. Most of the time, though, betting on another's potential is a winning move."

Are you giving yourself and others the chance to become or are you taking too many safe bets?