Being talented doesn’t make you special. It may make you feel special, but everyone is talented in some way or another. Talent by itself if worthless in my opinion. What makes someone truly special is what they choose to do with the talents God gave them. Do they showcase them for the world to see or do they use them solely for their own personal gain?
The reality is, most people are afraid to showcase their talents. Most people hide their talents because they are afraid of what might happen if they find out just how talented they are! How do I know? Because that was me until I arrived at my duty station in Germany and met my friend Stan.
He may have been the most naturally talented person I have ever met – but he had the right mindset too. He could run faster, jump higher, lift heavier and generally “be better” than anyone I have ever met – but he was humble which made all the difference.
His motivation inspired people to want to be better. He made me want to be better. He pushed me everyday to be everything I could be – and then some. I have never thought of myself as “naturally talented” but that didn’t matter. Stan pushed me to develop my talents by using what God gave him to inspire me.
When Stan passed away, I made myself a promise that I would be for others what he was to me. I promised to use my talents to motivate others. That mindset made me a better person, a better teammate, and a better leader.
As humans, we like to be recognized and that’s ok but we must identify what we want to be recognized for. On the day that I die, I don’t want to be remembered for what I accomplished but rather what I did to make the world a better place. Stan showed me the power of using your talents to inspire others. It doesn’t matter how great you are if everyone around you isn’t motivated to follow in your footsteps.
I challenge you to ask yourself questions like; what impact does your talent have on the world? Do you use it solely for your own personal gain or does it benefit the greater good in some way?
Professional athletes are the perfect example of this. They are beyond talented in their craft but if you look closely, you can tell who is truly special. Listen to what they say during their press conferences. Listen to who they give credit to for their success. Do they use the word I or we when referring to a victory or loss?
Not everyone will agree with this. Some people will use their talents for the wrong reasons but God didn’t give you your talents to be great by yourself, he gave them to you to make the world great. Be all the you can be but use your talents to call others to rise to a higher level.
By: Timothy A. Natale
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