Talent is overrated
Do you believe it is all about talent? Think twice.
The other day I read a nice review of Bruce Springsteen's autobiography. Although he is now called the Boss (and rightly so) that was not always the case.
In his biography you read, among other things, that
- he had no talent in playing guitar, couldn't play a note and soon stopped taking lessons.
- he couldn't sing. Every band he was in that was looking for a singer, Bruce was not chosen.
- his audience walked away, his agent stopped answering his calls and finally his bandmates quit.
Yet he is now one of the most highly regarded artists worldwide.
Talent is overrated, skill can be learned.
Keep going. Continually keep trying and delivering. Showing up every time and 'doing your thing' [suppresses vomit tendency]. Regardless of the response or lack thereof. Surely we don't do it for that. Get on with what you love. That has nothing to do with talent at all, but with perseverance.
If you practice something long enough, you will naturally become good at it. Author Malcolm Gladwell, in his book Outliers, argues that it takes 10,000 hours to master something.
What are you waiting for?