You Are Capable of Doing Something Better Than the Next Ten Thousand People
We are all created by God, and we have equal value in His eyes. However, we do not all have the same gifts. Your gift is your talent, and your talent represents your strength zone. Your strength zone is the area of human endeavor in which your natural ability is higher compared to other areas.
Your natural ability is an inborn ability, not one that you acquire through practice alone.
Dr. John Maxwell once wrote, “It has been my observation that people can only increase their ability in an area by about two points on a scale of 1 to 10.” For example, if your natural strength in a field is a 4, with hard work you may raise it to a 6. However, if you discover a field in which your natural strength is already a 7, you have the potential to grow into a 9 or even a 10.
Therefore, it is important to choose your career based on your area of natural strength. Doing something you are not naturally suited for is like forcing a square peg into a round hole.
Those we often call “gifted” or “geniuses” are people who have discovered and developed their natural talents.
Some people are naturally good at painting, others at teaching. Some are gifted in management, writing, or drawing. Everyone has a unique ability.
The key to discovering your talent is passion. Passion is an intense emotional excitement. It is the feeling experienced by those who care deeply about an object, a person, an idea, a belief, or a career.
In most cases, your talent is connected to what you love to do even when no one motivates, supervises, challenges, or rewards you. You do it simply because you enjoy doing it.
It is certain that when we do what we love, we become better at it.
Rick Warren, in his book The Purpose Driven Life, wrote:
“The highest achievers in any field are those who do it because of passion, not duty or profit.”
Nancy Anderson also noted that:
“Every major change in history—social, economic, philosophical, or artistic—has occurred because of the participation of passionate individuals.”
You Have Talent and You Can Develop It
It does not matter how aware you are of your abilities, how you feel about yourself, or whether you have previously achieved success or not. What truly matters is that you have talent, and you can discover and develop it.
However, it is important to understand that you can only develop the talent you have, not the one you wish you had. In other words, you cannot choose your talent—you can only discover it.
You are not a blank sheet of paper on which you can simply draw anything and call it your purpose or talent. Each person has a natural pattern or framework that should be followed in order to make the most of life.
That said, talent alone does not guarantee success. It takes more than talent to succeed in life. Talent is only the starting point.
Someone once said that talent is cheaper than table salt, but hard work is what separates the talented from the successful.
For example, the late Michael Jackson was a naturally talented dancer and performer, yet he reportedly spent nearly eight hours every day rehearsing and perfecting his craft.
Talent may open the door, but discipline, dedication, and hard work are what keep you moving forward toward greatness.
