Talent is a Terrible Thing to Waste!

by Phoenix Desertsong, Motivational Friends

"Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work." - Stephen King

Many human beings are blessed with one sort of talent or another. Some are great at public speaking. Others are great at composing music. Others are very good at writing essays; some are  even able to write entire novels.

Yet many so-called talented individuals have their talents consistently go to waste. Why is this? Stephen King once said the difference between a talented individual and successful individual is a lot of hard work. You can be exceptionally talented at one or more things. But, if you do not put the prerequisite work into growing your skill with your talents, you will not be able to succeed without a hell of a lot of luck.

You may have seen individuals that don't seem to have great natural talent sometimes succeed at very high levels. Granted, this is often done through the work of other talented individuals, You don't always know who's working behind the scenes, directing almost every step. But these not as talented individuals are willing to put the work in. Their successes aren't always sustainable, but they do happen more than you would think they should.

It turns out that far less talented individuals can succeed if they're willing to put in an incredible amount of work into what it is that they love.  You also need to have passion, and lots of it, in order to succeed. Yes, some people seem to have the ability to get lucky and have their talent lead to immediate success. But, that's extremely rare.

Talented or not, reaching success involves a lot of failure first. Having natural talent can make some tasks easier. But many talented individuals do not seem to understand what effort is needed to translate their talent into skills that will bring them success. Plus, when putting in a lot of effort, you might discover another talent you didn't even know you had.

But without the effort, your talent is basically worth table salt, as King said. People might smile at the sprinkles of talent you display occasionally. But you're not going to live your dreams without truly living and breathing your passions. Let your talents complement the efforts, not replace them.