Posted by Luke in 
Yesterday I spoke about the four stages of learning. Today, I want to point out the missing element of learning that often is overlooked by many people. This is the part of learning that refers to your natural talent.
Your natural talent
People who excel in their area, such as Elvis, were not just hardworkers. They had a special something that made them different from everyone else around them. They had a natural inclination or gifting that guided them to the target. If you look into the history of successful people you will find somewhere in their story a natural desire to follow a certain path. You have this too and so do I.
How can I know my natural talent?
I can’t answer this with a one line answer except to add this: what you don’t have to work hard to achieve and find very easy to learn could be your natural talent. For me, it’s writing. I don’t have to think beyond writing the next word to know what I am going to say. As a matter of fact as I am writing this… it’s just flowing out of me. No planning, no forward thinking, no nothing. Just a natural flow of creativity inside me. That’s God given. Finding it, is not as easy as simply letting it flow however and that’s where yesterdays post comes in handy. You have to develop your natural talent. You may find like I did as you were developing your natural talent in one area you discovered it was actually in another area! But that’s what makes life so interesting… we all have so much potential (that’s tomorrow’s topic…).
An example of natural talent
Say you like organising people. You love to file things away, be organised and structure things. That’s a natural talent. You may be creative and ideas are always flowing out of you… that’s a natural talent. You may be drawn to cooking, sailing, fishing, running or whatever. It’s that drawing you need to develop and master on the road of life.
There are many reasons why people never realise their natural talent… none of which are important right now. What is important is that you make a committment to begin looking for that talent and start developing it. In the next post in this bunch I am talking about what potential is and how to use it. You must come back and read that if you are stuggling with your own personal development.
Powered by MightyAdsense
Actually, you DON’T know how to write. In fact, you are a terrible writer. But you ARE able to record your thoughts using words.
That’s a start. But if you want to be a writer and be both appreciated for that talent and paid well for it, you should start by hiring an editor and/or taking some courses in grammar and punctuation.
Hope this helps clarify things for you.
Bob
Dear Bob,
Thanks for the comment. I don’t appreciate the “terrible writer” comment at all because you neither know the body of my work (academic papers) nor do you appreciate the relative satisfaction I get from writing. What have you read of mine that draws you to this conclusion… this blog post? I can’t afford an editor on my wage so I apologise (Australian English) to my readers for the poor grammar.
Here is a note to future comments. Please say them in a way in which they are constructive. Bob’s comment about me being a “terrible writer” is nasty and uncalled for. Here’s the right way to say what Bob said without resorting to being nasty:
“Dear Luke,
While I appreciate your ability to be able to record your thoughts you need to find someone (if you can) to help you with your grammar. It makes your blog hard to read and makes me think you are a terrible writer.
I hope this helps,
Bob”
I still might have been upset by the comment from Bob (not his real name) but I doubt that I would have been provoked to write such a long reply. I am starting to think this whole blogging thing isn’t worth it. I mean seriously, comments like this make me wonder why I even bother.
Anyway over to you Bob, I doubt you will reply… most flamers don’t have the courage to enter into meaningful debates or useful commentary anyway. Me personally I enjoy it… especially whens me grammer becomes cromulent and embiggens the heart of me readers.
Yours in love, respect, honour and mercy,
Luke Houghton
That earlier comment was for “BOB” as for you LUKE don’t allow people like bob stop you from writing! there is always going to be bobs and as I read somewhere when Lucille Ball went to an audition and was told she was not funny and she would never make it in comedy, well she sure did prove them wrong!
May you be encouraged to write and do as you do best…
-Ritz
Thanks for your comment Ritz… I really appreciate your kindness.
That is a horrible thing to say to someone! We are here to build people not to tear them apart I found it very useful and thought it was right! there are no right and wrong about writing because just as it did not speak to you it did to me. you will be accounted for every word you speak…
-Ritz
I think the premise is: Who determines talent? It certainly isn’t any one person who says you’ve got talent or you don’t have talent.
Hi Mary,
That’s good point. I am reminded of the critics of Raymond Feist. Sure, he gets hammered by critics… nevertheless his talent pays his bills.
Thanks Mary
Luke
Bob —
Coming from a complete stranger who was very much inspired by this article, I am appalled at your post and how low your words are. That speaks a hell of a lot about YOU as a person and I, personally, wouldn’t want anything to do with someone like you.
It’s one thing to critique someone’s work, but it’s just plain WRONG to talk down on someone. Shame on you! Take a good look in the mirror before you choose to judge. That’s God job – not yours!
Hi Kelly,
Thanks for that I needed the boost.
Hi Luke,
Thanks – I stumbled across your article and really appreciated it. That’s exactly what I need to do is find my natural talent. I make good money in a business that brings me little joy and satisfaction.
Normally I never leave a reply – but when I saw what Bob wrote I had to laugh. What a bitter and useless post.
Thanks Tim… the internet has it’s fair share of weirdos! I am glad I was able to help in some way…
This comment is for Luke –
“I still might have been upset by the comment from Bob (not his real name) but I doubt that I would have been provoked to write such a long reply. I am starting to think this whole blogging thing isn’t worth it. I mean seriously, comments like this make me wonder why I even bother. ”
I was really touched by this part of your comment. Please and in future, do not let people discourage you from doing anything you love…..Including Bob. Perhaps he needs to learn some manners. People like him are just plain rude and please delete his comment and continue to write (your passion). Perhaps Bob has no passion and his aim is to just look at blogs and make comments that are not constructive.
Take care and keep up the GREAT work.
Txx
Thanks Tia… very kind!
http://home.att.net/~profmulder/Incompetence.htm
Good point,
Two things:
1. I am aware of my in-competencies. This is why I continue to learn and hopefully improve at the hands of others. For instance we have these publication syndicates at work where we review each others papers. I have had most of this work improved and published as a result. That’s not the issue. It’s the failure of people recognise potential and nurture it.
2. The issue as I see it is not related to competence but people who do not have the patience or ability to inform me or others on how to improve. It’s so easy to criticize, yet it’s not so easy to mentor is it? To put it in the words of my father: Any can be an asshole.
Thanks for the article, I passed it on for others to read.
Luke
You should ignore posts from people who only criticize your work.
Sometimes other people only feel good about themselves by belittling others.
I truly feel sorry for people like that, because they are so unhappy with their own life that is why they want to criticize everyone else.
I enjoyed reading your work.
Thanks Michelle! I have worked with some very intelligent people who will criticize your work and thereby improve it. Some people however, don’t really know how to do that in a way that’s constructive or useful. I like that kind of criticism!
