10. Talent Is Never Enough

“The toughest thing about success is that you’ve got to keep on being a success. Talent is only a starting point. You’ve got to keep working that talent”

I first read the book “Talent is never enough” over 3 years ago, at a time when I was faced with a very tough decision concerning a career change. The book was given to me by my Husband and I remember him teasing me then that I read the book like I was studying for exams i.e. complete with notebook and pen to take notes and do assignments. It was a turning point book for me, and I like to say it was my first real introduction to the concept of purpose. What it did for me then was help me clarify my interests, and the aspects of my development that would keep me energetic and excited about my career. In addition to that, it provided a blue print of some sort for protecting and growing that career choice.

Now, years later I find that this book is still a page turner and the lessons in it are as relevant today as they were then and probably for all times.

The Author shares 13 timeless concepts on what makes an individual a “Talent Plus” person, because Talent alone is only a starting point. You need much more than Talent to make any sort of lasting impact, and to position yourself in the lists of those to be remembered or looked out for in any given field. I will be sharing 7 of those concepts in this post, hoping that you take enough out of it to begin your own "Talent plus" journey, or that it sparks enough of an interest in you to want to find out more/own a copy for yourself. I am certain that this will not be my last read of the book, as I have found that with more life experiences, certain chapters take on more significant meaning.

But 1^st things 1^st, let’s get one thing straight, everyone is talented or gifted in one way or another. You have to believe that, and need to have done the homework to even realise where your own strengths lay. That is the ground work required for the underlisted concepts from this book. (To know more about your talents or gifts, read my earlier blog post on “The great work of your life” or “The Purpose book”)

So, here goes…my top 7 concepts for becoming a "Talent plus" person.

1.      PASSION Energizes your talent

Of course I had to start with passion. But what does passion even mean? A strong desire, enthusiasm, excitement, great interest, or intense love for something. One popular question that is said to be used in determining passion is “What is that activity that if you were asked to do for the rest of your life without pay, you would be happy to”? In other words, you consider the activity on its own sufficient pay or enjoyment for the time you invest in it.

This is how passion plays out in our talents, it gives the enjoyment factor to whatever you’re engaged in and as such keeps you energized even when the going is tough. Passion also causes people to pay attention to you, because your evident enjoyment and creativity shines through. Your enthusiasm in those activities of interest can also become contagious and spread to those around you, creating inspiration for others. Therefore, try prioritizing your life according to your passions and watch your energy levels go up. Often we spend most of our time in activities we neither have the talent nor passion for, thus creating a very dull and low energy life for ourselves. The power to change this lies with us and the choices we make, choose to prioritise those passions and create avenues for them to become livelihood and a source of positive impact for the world at large.

2.      FOCUS Directs your talent

In this Era of constant distractions from a million tools and activities, the majority of us are in dire need of focus. Also, in this age of creativity and entrepreneurship, everyone is either creating something, or selling something, making us want to create or sell ours. The temptation to combine all these different hats can cause one to lose focus on the really important priorities because we don’t want to be seen as the slackers or the ones who have no ideas to push. So again, back to your passion and priorities, having identified them, you need to focus on them and not let all the noise from the environment distract you. Concentrate on sharpening your skills in those areas, don’t dissipate your energy on a million different things, hoping that one of them becomes a hit. As you concentrate your efforts on those priorities, you begin to pull from a deep well that you otherwise might have only scratched the surface, and this is where genius begins. The more you focus, the deeper your skills, the greater your insight and the more profound your creations. Stay focused on your priority goals, also stay focused on your strengths not your weaknesses...yes develop your strengths, but moderate your weaknesses so they don't ruin your strengths.

3.      PREPARATION/PRACTICE Positions your talent

The concept of preparation/practice is one that cannot be over emphasized, sometimes we like to think that good luck or opportunity will meet us wherever it finds us, but the truth is, opportunity can sometimes meet you and find you unready for what it has in store for you. It’s all good for us to have dreams of how far we want to go with our gifts, but you must first start somewhere. A few of us are not enthusiastic about the idea of working for others or doing free trials in the beginning, but the truth is sometimes the skills and lessons you pick up from those experiences are invaluable. No one becomes a star overnight, you can actually develop yourself by learning from others or working for others as part of your preparatory activities. Also, what tools or accessories do you need to be able to perform optimally in your chosen field? Are you investing in those, are you learning all that you can about that field? These actions may seem like work in the beginning but will pay off in the long run. Take good time to sharpen your craft as the rewards are bound to come in, in due course.

4.      PERSEVERENCE Sustains your talent

Perseverance, Grit, Staying Power, Endurance, etc. are all terms to signify one’s ability to keep going even in the face of adversity. As we all know, life is never completely rosy, there will be times that will take a toll on us either physically, mentally or emotionally. Our response to those times, and our ability to keep going despite such times often determine our eventual success or decline. Im sure we’ve all heard of, or known of individuals who despite several hardships turned out to be huge successes, or some individuals who we had great hopes for but somehow faded out because they just did not have what it took to keep going in the face of difficulties. Some people settle for less when they become disillusioned that things aren’t going according to plan. We have to develop a high level of resilience to be able to forge ahead during such times, its okay to be down but don’t stay there, pick yourself back up and keep going.

5.      CHARACTER protects your talent

Many people with talent make it into the limelight, but the ones who have neglected to develop strong character rarely stay there long. This is because some talented people are sometimes tempted to take shortcuts, and when they get found out, it destroys everything they spent time building. The character of an individual reflects their core values, their level of integrity and the amount of self-discipline they possess. You can spend a lot of time building your reputation but one mistake or misplay has the potential to destroy a lifetime of stellar performance. Therefore in all you do, be sure to protect your character by maintaining a good reputation and living a life based on integrity. Easier said than done I know, but well worth it. Bottom line, “Do the right thing” or it might just come back to haunt you when you least expect it.

6.      RELATIONSHIPS Influence your talent

Nothing influences talent as much as the important relationships in your life. Surround yourself with people who contribute to your talent one way or the other. If you spend time with people who are going in a completely opposite direction from yourself, they become like a clog in your wheels and slow down your growth. Sometimes the people you surround yourself with serve as inspiration to lift you to greater heights, even without actively contributing to your own talent. Truth is some relationships take from us and drain us, while some relationships add to us and serve to grow us. Be conscious of the relationships you’re forming and how they impact your life and your future. You too can also be a source of inspiration for someone else, so don’t always be on the lookout for relationships to take from, also have relationships where you give of yourself or help to grow others too.

7.      TEAMWORK Multiplies your talent

This was probably the biggest lesson for me, not because I don’t know what teamwork is but because I just like to do things on my own. I am one fiercely independent individual who likes to take charge of stuff and see them through. But really we cannot do everything on our own, you can try, you’ll do some very well but others will suffer. Really nothing expands talent faster than teamwork, so begin to see the strengths in others around you and learn to give off some of the load to others to carry for you. It serves to develop others, while also taking some pressure of you. In the award winning movie Rocky, the boxer describes his relationship with his girlfriend saying “I’ve got gaps, she’s got gaps, but together we’ve got no gaps”. What a wonderful description of teamwork. It doesn’t matter how talented you may be, you have gaps! There are things you don’t do well, and the best way to handle your weaknesses is to partner with others who have strengths in those areas. If you want to do something really big…You need a team!

Sooo….these are my top 7 concepts from the book “Talent is never enough”, hope you found them useful. I sure did. The application of these concepts 3 years ago, set me on my current path and protected me from a huge career blunder. If you can get a hold of the book, pls do so, in order to learn of all the other concepts that make you a “Talent plus” individual.

Cheers to open minds!