What Do You Do When What You Do is Not Good Enough?

What do you do when what you do is not good enough?

My six-year-old daughter was sitting in the back of a 3-hour women’s conference. I talked about each one having a special talent and finding it.

My daughter grabbed that idea. Her artistic mind wandered.

She wrote a little story in pencil on her art pad and drew a stick figure penguin named Pentelope.

By the time I finished with the workshop, a writer and illustrator had found her special talent.

The story was about a little penguin who wanted to sing with the carolers, but that was not his talent. He was not good at it at all!

His teacher asked him to play bells instead.

Pentelope had a choice.

He could cry about not being able to do what he wanted to do.

He could get angry at the other students who laughed at him.

He could give up, stay home, and never try it again.

What did Pentelope do?

He found his own special talent. 

He was the best bell ringer ever.

She was six-years-old. She grasped a concept adults choke on.

Find what you do well. Practice it until you are the best.

Do it with all your heart. Be happy with your own talent.

Pentelope became her thing.

Stories and new books multiplied.

We created a mascot costume. She took Pentelope to schools and libraries to read and even to tv.

All because she heard someone say she had a special talent and believed in it.

You have a special talent, too.

Stop comparing yourself to others.

Stop trying to copy what they are doing to be successful.

That is their special talent. That is why it works. Find yours!

Then, work at it. Practice it.

And go do it!

With all your heart and soul!

If you don't know your special talent, helping others find theirs seems to be one of mine.

I will be launching out to do that more soon.