Talent

Talent.

Everyone has a talent of some sort. We usually equate talent with the arts, but there are so many other gifts. For every profession there is talent behind it. Maybe our talent is simpler, maybe it’s the way we care for another person or animal. The point is, all of us have talent, and it is up to us to recognize it and use it to help us become the best person we can be. It makes life easier and more fun when we do.

One of the biggest issues with talent is comparing our gifts with others. I’m very guilty of this, and I’ve let it stop me from writing music on many occasions. When we think we shouldn’t bother doing something because so many others do it better than us, its not only untrue it’s detrimental. There is only one you. No one else does exactly what you do, and no one else does it exactly how you do it. Your talents inspire and influence others. You may not be aware of it, no one may say anything, but I assure you, it’s true. I’ve heard it time and time again, usually when I think no one gives a rat’s ass about what I’m creating.

Maybe you don’t know what your talent is. Take stock in the things that make you the happiest. Maybe it’s gardening, being a good parent, cleaning…it doesn’t have to be something artsy or something that produces a material product.

Maybe there’s something in your childhood you used to enjoy and stopped doing because someone critiqued you negatively. There is always some asshole willing to put you down; it makes them feel better about what they are lacking in life. I was once told I sounded like another artist, then he added a lovely backhanded compliment, “only she can sing.” I could’ve let that crush me, but I let it take me to the next level. He was still an ass. Our talents, at any stage of development, are rarely perfect. Like anything else, we must nurture the raw talent, and if we want to improve, move forward and seek those who are better than us in order to grow.

As a writer, I’m so green, I could be related to Kermit. My grammar, in case you can’t tell, isn’t exactly my strong point. But I am learning. I’ve talked with other writers, hired an editor, looked up grammar rules on the Internet. I don’t expect perfection, and that is liberating. Who can create anything when constantly judging and second- guessing? Don’t be afraid to learn or ask questions about your talent/passion.
As you go into this week, think about your talents. If you don’t know, ask others what they think you’re talents are. Usually, we have more than one thing we are good at doing. Find the one that makes your heart happy this week and make a vow to nurture it.