I read a post recently on steemit, talking about gifts and talents of diverse kinds, and that kept me pondering for a while. I got linked again to this same topic while having a random discussion with a friend and he was even more pleased to share with me his personal experience of what he had seen in Akwa Ibom, Nigeria. An 87year old man pulling a motionless car with his neck with just a rope tied around it.
Show of strength
He had an opportunity of a chat with the octagenarian and their conversation goes thus. ( this is an abridged version. My friend's name is Udoh ).
UDOH: Hello
MAN: Hello
UDOH: it's amazing to see a man of your age doing this. How do you come about doing this
MAN: I've always known I have something special in me but, I never took it seriously, but of late I get the drive to do certain things
UDOH: considering your age, what motivates you?
MAN: Age motivates me. I thought within myself what actually can I do to draw attention and get people talking about me even when am gone, considering my age. So I decided to look within and I found this
UDOH: How do you get this done?
MAN: "Nothing good comes easy. I practice and exercise daily. It hasn't been easy, I sweat through it. You can only use your gift meaningfully if you have the percieverance to go through hard work"
Here, is actually my point, if you want extra then you have to give and do more. So many people are roaming around the streets today with wasted talents/gifts just because they couldn't fan it to flame. Everyone has something special in them, in whatever field or discipline you can think of, science, Art, just look within and bring them out. But beyond bringing out your talent or gift is the work you put into it.
In a local contest
My conclusion is that talents and gifts are not enough, hard work does the magic, and it pays.
