It’s so easy to recognize talents in
others and discount ours. Often we don’t understand why we can’t do the things
our parents, siblings or friends do. Each person has an inherent set of skills
and abilities. Even if some are similar, we use them in our own way. Together,
with our own set of skills, we complement each other to make our families and
the world a better place.
Discover your talent
Search your creative, artistic and
personal abilities. Write down the things you can do or would like to do. This
will help you recognize which abilities enhance which talents. If you need
help, don’t be afraid to ask family, friends or pray.
Develop your talent
Developing your talents takes time
and effort very similar to the way you learned to read, write and walk. Don’t
give up on yourself when you think you’re not getting better. Some talents need
more effort than others. Even if your sister makes playing the piano look
simple, she likely spent hours practicing.
A family friend, shortly after
graduating high school, said she hated her piano lessons. She had to use many
skills, such as playing scales, understanding rhythm and how it related to
music, reading and playing different notes for each finger and hand and where
to place her hands for ease of hitting the correct notes. She tried everything
she could think of to get out of practicing. Her mother was insistent and did
not yield to her daughter’s pleas. Now she is thankful for her piano playing
talent. She loves how the music sounds as her trained fingers play the notes of
her favorite songs.
Have faith in yourself
You are an individual. You, your
present and future family, friends, community and the world need your talents.
You can do it. Don’t be afraid to push yourself past the, "I can’t."
If you need to, call on family or friends for help.
Many times I’ve reached what I
thought was "it." I couldn’t do any more. I’d reached my limit.
Family and friends encouraged me to move beyond "it." Here’s a good
example. In high school, my grades on my essays and stories said I needed
improvement. And when I listened to the star of our class, well, I knew I
couldn’t write. I gave it up before the skills were even developed. How could I
write as good as her or my favorite authors?
In my late 40s, I met an author’s
group and they asked me to write. They gave me constructive ways to make the
story better. I took a writing course, and now I’m a freelance author and
working on a children’s picture book. I’ve discovered that I love writing.
Learn the skills needed for your
talent
Look for ways to learn about and
develop your talents. Sources can include books, movies, lessons, songs, family
member or friends. Don’t be afraid to mix and match. Do all you can to be your
best.
If you make mistakes, don’t give up.
Mistakes teach and help you and your talents grow. It’s like an orchestra. Each
instrument is important for the full sound. If even one person is missing, the
audience will notice. You are that instrument. Learn the skills needed so your
talent will benefit everyone.
Practice so you can develop your
talent
Be determined to gain control of
your talent. Many skills need repetition and may take hours, days, weeks,
months and even years of practice and repetition before they’re ready.
One of the best examples of
determination came from our son. We were traveling to my parents-in-law and
stopped at a hotel for the night. Our son, almost one, crawled to the bed,
pulled himself up and walked until he fell. He crawled back to the bed and
repeated the process many times until he was walking. He didn’t cry or
complain; he just kept trying.
Use your talent by sharing
You’ve done it. Your talent is
ready. Don’t hide it or it will go away. Play that piece, sing and the world
will listen, listen and a soul will find peace, organize that group and many
will benefit. Share your talent. You, your family, your community and the world
will be a better place because you did. One thing you must know today is, the more you use your talent, the better it becomes and the more skillful you become.
