IS TALENT ENOUGH?

Look around. It’s a graveyard of unfulfilled potentials. Everyone has a story to tell—how they had talent, but could’t make it. As a matter of fact, only 1% realise their true potential or come even somewhere close to it.

Having talent is one thing but fulfilling that talent is a different ball game altogether.?We have innumerable examples in all the fields where someone was perceived to have immense potential and predicted to go places. But that didn’t happen. In fact, the person didn’t even come close to the greatness he/she promised. On the other hand, there are also examples where someone went practically unnoticed in his/her formative years—but later outshined all notable candidates.?

So the question arises—is having talent enough? But before that, what is a talent? In simple terms, talent is that unique raw natural ability or quality uncommon in others. If it’s a sport like cricket—then for a batsman it is uncanny hand-eye coordination and for a fast bowler it is the raw pace; in acting it should be insightful ease in expressing varied emotions; for a storyteller it will be natural vision for original stories; for a scholar it will be extensive ability to consume knowledge being able to articulate it; and for a scientist it is the ability to see solutions where others draw a blank.

However, is talent enough? Apparently not. Talent requires vision, discipline, perseverance, wisdom, ability to take risks and knowing when to shed the old skin for a new one. Vision lends direction and reminder that each milestone is not the end but a beginning to the next milestone. Discipline provides mental and physical equilibrium to go the distance. Perseverance provides forbearance to rise after every fall. Wisdom ensures a balanced head over the shoulder to not get overwhelmed in little successes and underwhelmed in the moments of failure. Ability to take risks prevents from not getting too comfortable in the status quo. And knowing when to shed the old skin for a new one sustains the process of evolution, which is the most important part of realising one’s potential. Talent is a plant that needs constant watering. It’s a journey that needs exploration and discovery.?Talent cannot flourish in latency and inertia. It needs to be finessed by mental and behavioural fortitude.

So is everyone talented? Absolutely. Everyone has some talent. A fish has talent to swim and a monkey has talent to climb trees. But problem would arise if fish wants to climb trees and monkey wishes to swim. One can argue that it may not be impossible for a fish to train itself in tree climbing and monkey can learn to swim. And that’s true. However, despite acquired skills, a fish will remain a fish and monkey will be a monkey. A fish’s true calling is not on trees, but in water—and a monkey belongs to trees and not water. However, not everyone is meant to climb Everest. And that’s alright.

Hence, coming back to the same question. Why only 1% people realise their potential. That is because only 1% have what it takes to walk that path and keep going despite all odds. One should be initiated on this arduous expedition only when passion is acute to the point of killing—without a possibility of redemption. Talent is a perishable diamond. If it is not carved at the right place at the right time, it will be lost forever. Having said that, true talent is like life, it finds its way. With their result oriented extraordinary minds—if Einstein wasn’t a scientist, he could’ve been a great artist; and Beethoven could very easily have been an accomplished mathematician.?