I have a friend who can create amazing hand-drawn pictures. We were discussing how they discovered their talent, and I asked, "How did you know you could do it?"
"It's something you're just born with, and after a little practice, you perfect it," they said.
That answer confused me. I realized I never had that. Some people can run incredibly fast, play football, or sing beautifully. As a kid, I did all that too—I even tried dancing. But I guess I never paid enough attention to any of it to reach my potential.
I remember my Sunday school teacher telling us that everyone has a God-given talent. But what is talent, really? Is it something you can naturally do well, or is it something you learn and perfect?
Someone once told me that talent is whatever you do well, combined with passion. In that case... is minding my own business a talent? Because I do that exceptionally well.
That conversation got me thinking—what is my talent?
I came to a conflicted conclusion: I love writing. I’ve loved it since I was young, and over the years, I’ve refined it. I’m not the best, but I’m comfortable with what I can do. So, is that my talent? That has to be the most mid talent in the world. Every kid in school is taught how to read and write. How does following my teachers' instructions make me talented? If anything, that just makes me a nerd.
I refuse to believe writing is my talent. Sure, I love it, but there has to be something else—something unique. And with that thought comes doubt.
What if my true talent was making music, but the only time I ever sang was in the shower? What if I was meant to be a dancer, but I never had the confidence to perform in front of others? What if I failed to discover my talent when I was young, and now it’s too late?
In the end, I think it’s okay to be talentless. That word sounds like an insult, but people should embrace it. Just as some people are born with six toes and others with five, having less is considered normal.
I don’t have a talent, and that’s okay. What I do have are skills that I’ve developed over time. And with enough dedication and passion, I believe anyone can learn and master a skill.