--- title: The Greatest Sin | The Sales Blog description: The greatest sin is not living up to your full potential. It’s squandering your gifts. The main culprit behind your unmet potential is fear. What Holds You Back is Your Fear Maybe you are afraid of your own voice. You are embarrassed because you are afraid of other people judging you. If you share your […] image: https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/shutterstock_250718359.jpg --- ### [Now booking SKO meetings for 2026/27! Learn more](https://www.thesalesblog.com/authority) [![Iannarino The Sales Blog](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/2021%20Website/Images/ai-logo-web.svg) ](https://www.thesalesblog.com) - WIN AT SALES - The Sales Environment - [ Sales is broken ](https://www.thesalesblog.com/sales-is-broken) - [ Modern sales ](https://www.thesalesblog.com/revenue-growth-blueprint) - Sales Resources - [ Blog ](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog) - [ Podcast ](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/the-anthony-iannarino-show) - [ Live Training Events ](https://events.thesalesblog.com) - [ Modern Sales Methodologies for Enterprises ](https://www.thesalesblog.com/modern-sales-metholodogies) [![View Events](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/b2e09c31-23bf-4ae9-b840-9ce632f62111.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/b2e09c31-23bf-4ae9-b840-9ce632f62111) ###### Live Training Events ### Upcoming training events & workshops [![Sales Accelerator Training](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/cda2541c-e77c-44de-9752-0a68716d50e9.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/cda2541c-e77c-44de-9752-0a68716d50e9) ###### Online Training Platform ### Sales Accelerator [![Revenue Growth Blueprint](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/b2913e6b-029b-4079-96bb-20e4ad251bc6.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/b2913e6b-029b-4079-96bb-20e4ad251bc6) ###### #1 Resource ### Revenue Growth Blueprint - [ BLOG ](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog) - [ SPEAKING ](https://www.thesalesblog.com/speaking) - SALES TRAINING - [ Sales Accelerator + Monthly Webinars Bundle ](https://www.thesalesblog.com/sales-training-events-bundle) - [ For Individual Reps ](https://www.thesalesblog.com/individuals) - [ For Teams ](https://www.thesalesblog.com/sales-accelerator) - [ Events & Other Programs ](https://events.thesalesblog.com) - [ Hire Anthony to Speak ](https://www.thesalesblog.com/speaking) - [ Modern Sales Methodologies for Enterprises ](https://www.thesalesblog.com/modern-sales-metholodogies) - [ EVENTS ](https://events.thesalesblog.com) - [ BOOKS ](https://www.thesalesblog.com/books) - [ ABOUT ](https://www.thesalesblog.com/anthony-iannarino) - [ CONTACT ](https://www.thesalesblog.com/contact) - Hit Sales Targets [![View Events](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/b2e09c31-23bf-4ae9-b840-9ce632f62111.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/b2e09c31-23bf-4ae9-b840-9ce632f62111) ###### LIVE TRAINING EVENTS ### Upcoming virtual training events & in-person workshops ###### Improve your win rates [![Speaking](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/2a02e2ae-517f-42dc-a8db-40ef42615279.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/2a02e2ae-517f-42dc-a8db-40ef42615279) ###### Keynotes & Workshops ### Hire Anthony to Speak @ Your Event # The Greatest Sin ![Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/ai-blog-profile-crop.jpg) Post by [Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/author/anthony-iannarino) December 23, 2015 The greatest sin is not living up to your full potential. It’s squandering your gifts. The main culprit behind your unmet potential is [fear](http://thesalesblog.com/blog/2013/09/27/a-short-meditation-on-fear/). #### What Holds You Back is Your Fear Maybe you are afraid of your own voice. You are embarrassed because you are afraid of other people judging you. If you share your voice, people will hear you, and you can’t control what they think or say. You doubt yourself, so you withhold your gift. You might be afraid of failure. It could be that you believe that a failure would define you, that it would be an identity and not simply an event. Maybe you think you couldn’t recover. As difficult as it is to believe, you might avoid living up to your full potential because you fear success. Your success might make the people around you feel uncomfortable or jealous. They might think you’ve changed, and because they fear losing you, they may be unhappy with your success. Rather than help them feel certain you aren’t abandoning them, you hold back. Another reason you don’t reach your full potential is [apathy](http://thesalesblog.com/blog/2012/05/31/you-are-capable-of-so-much-more/). #### You Are Here for a Reason Perhaps you aren’t taking the massive action necessary to reach your potential because you think you have time. You don’t do what you should be doing today, telling yourself you will always have tomorrow. But today is yesterday’s tomorrow, and you’ve told yourself “I’ll start tomorrow,” more times than you care to remember. You could be suffering from the belief that if you are good enough that someone will discover you. So you sit and wait to be discovered, believing that success is something that happens to you and not because you chased it down, hustling, and pursuing it as if your life depended on it. When you are honest with yourself, you know that you can be more, do more, create more, have more, and make a far greater contribution than you are now. The greatest sin is not doing your very best to use everything you’ve been given. You were given this life for a purpose. You are here for a reason. Face your fears, give up your apathy, and become the biggest, best version of yourself. [**Tweet](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=The+Greatest+Sin&url=https%3A%2F%2Fthesalesblog.com%2F2015%2F12%2F23%2Fthe-greatest-sin%2F%3Futm_source%3Dtwitter%26utm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_campaign%3DSocialWarfare&via=iannarino) **Pin [**Share83](https://www.linkedin.com/cws/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fthesalesblog.com%2F2015%2F12%2F23%2Fthe-greatest-sin%2F%3Futm_source%3Dlinkedin%26utm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_campaign%3DSocialWarfare) [**Share28](https://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthesalesblog.com%2F2015%2F12%2F23%2Fthe-greatest-sin%2F%3Futm_source%3Dfacebook%26utm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_campaign%3DSocialWarfare) [**Email](mailto:?subject=The%20Greatest%20Sin&body=The%20greatest%20sin%20is%20not%20living%20up%20to%20your%20full%20potential.%20It%E2%80%99s%20squandering%20your%20gifts.%20The%20main%20culprit%20behind%20your%20unmet%20potential%20is%20fear.%20What%20Holds%20You%20Back%20is%20Your%20Fear%20Maybe%20you%20are%20afraid%20of%20your%20own%20voice.%20You%20are%20embarrassed%20because%20you%20are%20afraid%20of%20other%20people%20judging%20you.%20If%20you%20share%20your%20voice%2C%20people%20will%20hear%20you%2C%20and%20you%20can%E2%80%99t%20control%20what%20they%20think%20or%20say.%20You%20doubt%20yourself%2C%20so%20you%20withhold%20your%20gift.%20You%20might%20be%20afraid%20of%20failure.%20It%20could%20be%20that%20you%20believe%20that%20a%20failure%20would%20define%20you%2C%20that%20it%20would%20be%20an%0D%0A%0D%0ARead%20More%20Here:%20%20https%3A%2F%2Fthesalesblog.com%2F2015%2F12%2F23%2Fthe-greatest-sin%2F%3Futm_source%3Demail%26utm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_campaign%3DSocialWarfare) [**Pocket](https://getpocket.com/save?url=https%3A%2F%2Fthesalesblog.com%2F2015%2F12%2F23%2Fthe-greatest-sin%2F%3Futm_source%3Dpocket%26utm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_campaign%3DSocialWarfare) [**Buffer](https://bufferapp.com/add?url=https%3A%2F%2Fthesalesblog.com%2F2015%2F12%2F23%2Fthe-greatest-sin%2F%3Futm_source%3Dbuffer%26utm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_campaign%3DSocialWarfare&text=The+Greatest+Sin) 111 Shares ###### Tags: [Productivity](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/productivity) [2015](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/2015) Post by [Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/author/anthony-iannarino) on December 23, 2015 Written and edited by human brains and human hands. ![Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/ai-blog-profile-crop.jpg) Anthony Iannarino is an American writer. He has published daily at [thesalesblog.com](https://www.thesalesblog.com) for more than 14 years, amassing over 5,300 articles and making this platform a destination for salespeople and sales leaders. Anthony is also the author of four best-selling books documenting modern sales methodologies and a fifth book for sales leaders seeking revenue growth. His latest book for an even wider audience is titled, The Negativity Fast: Proven Techniques to Increase Positivity, Reduce Fear, and Boost Success. Anthony speaks to sales organizations worldwide, delivering cutting-edge sales strategies and tactics that work in this ever-evolving B2B landscape. He also provides workshops and seminars. Connect with Anthony on LinkedIn, X or Youtube. You can email Anthony at [iannarino@gmail.com](mailto:iannarino@gmail.com) [Follow me on my website](https://www.thesalesblog.com/anthony-iannarino) [Follow me on Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/thesalesblog) [Follow me on LinkedIn ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/iannarino/) [Follow me on Twitter ](http://www.twitter.com/iannarino) [![AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27.jpg?width=400&height=400&name=AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27.jpg)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/authority) [![ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1.jpg?width=318&height=179&name=ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1.jpg)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/free-cold-calling-video) ![maximize-productivity-ebook-v3-1-cover (2)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/maximize-productivity-ebook-v3-1-cover%20(2).jpg?width=768&height=994&name=maximize-productivity-ebook-v3-1-cover%20(2).jpg) ### Maximize Productivity Being productive means getting important things done. The big stuff. The stuff that moves you toward accomplishing your biggest, most important goals. [![DOWNLOAD EBOOK](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/faff89b7-a7a5-474e-9a53-68c41c02cd55.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/faff89b7-a7a5-474e-9a53-68c41c02cd55) ## Are You Ready To Solve Your Sales Challenges? ![Anthony-Solve-Sales](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Anthony-Solve-Sales.png?width=290&height=221&name=Anthony-Solve-Sales.png) Hi, I’m Anthony. I help sales teams make the changes needed to create more opportunities & crush their sales targets. What we’re doing right now **is working**, even in this challenging economy. **Would you like some help?** [![Solve for Sales](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035) ### Join my Weekly Newsletter for Sales Tips Join 100,000+ sales professionals in my weekly newsletter and get my *Guide to Becoming a Sales Hustler* eBook for FREE! --- ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org/", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Anthony Iannarino" }, "dateModified" : "2021-06-15T6:32:42 PM", "datePublished" : "2015-12-23 21:30:21", "description" : "The greatest sin is not living up to your full potential. It’s squandering your gifts. The main culprit behind your unmet potential is fear. What Holds You Back is Your Fear Maybe you are afraid of your own voice. You are embarrassed because you are afraid of other people judging you. If you share your […]", "headline" : "The Greatest Sin", "image" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "height" : 16, "url" : "https://f.hubspotusercontent20.net/hubfs/2922376/Image/favicon.ico", "width" : 16 }, "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/the-greatest-sin", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "name" : "The Greatest Sin", "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "height" : 24, "url" : "https://f.hubspotusercontent20.net/hubfs/2922376/TSB/images/TSB%20Logo%20Dark.svg", "width" : 228 }, "name" : "The Sales Blog" } } ```