Trapped Talent: Why Raw Ability Falls Short

Introduction:

Welcome my friend,

It's good to be back here with you as we hangout for the last time in October.

It's truly amazing to realize that after today, only two (2) months remain in the year, which means we've shared this space every weekend for ten (10) out of the twelve (12) months.

Indeed, you made that happen, and I'm grateful.

Truth is, even if you don't realize it, on many days, your presence has given me the energy to show up, simply knowing you're there on the other side.

After all, how could I ever leave you waiting, my friend?

In this, you've shown your reliability, a true friend that can be counted on.

Discussion:

The focus of our talk today is trapped talent, which simply means a talent that remains stuck in one spot, unable to progress.

An unrealized potential; the awareness that we're meant for more.

Here’s the thing: as soon as a standout ability is spotted in someone early on, expectations immediately form around them to achieve greatness.

Which makes sense, since they recognize it themselves and everyone else too can plainly see that they possess all the makings of success.

Yet, things don’t always unfold as expected.

So that talent is trapped, but why is this?

■ The HAD Way - Why Talent Isn't Enough 

A simple pathway to success demonstrates that while possessing talent is an excellent starting point, talent by itself isn't sufficient to reach it.

There are some other things that may get in our way meaning that we may sometimes have to do it the hard way.

For the purpose of this discussion we've summarized this hard way into a three (3) word acronym illustrating how we'd attain success the HAD way, with each letter representing hard work, attitude, and the divine accordingly.

Now let's swiftly go over each one:

▪︎ Hard Work 

The initial praise and quick wins we get can make us feel untouchable, as if future success is already ours by right, but life soon proves that nothing is handed to us just because we’re gifted.

More often than not, talent starts strong only to be overtaken by someone with greater discipline and drive.

The reality is, those who reach higher levels earn it deliberately, investing effort that aligns with their ambitions.

A big part of that effort is the battle to turn passion into a profession, making a living from what we do best.

Many of us still struggle to market our gift, to frame our talent as real value that others will pay for.

However, this can be fixed.

We simply need to commit to the work over time: constantly sharpening our skills, growing steadily, and keeping up with the pace and demands of our field or industry.

This consistent effort builds undeniable competence, making us stand out and become the one others seek, even among other talented people.

▪︎ Attitude 

For talent to truly shine, it must be paired with the right attitude, both toward the work itself and in how we connect with others.

A poor attitude toward work dulls talent, as distractions steal time that could have gone into meaningful effort, deeper practice, or real improvement.

Here, integrity plays a key role, determining our readiness to give our best every time, holding nothing back.

This isn’t something taught, it’s felt, born from genuine love for what we do.

In the same way, how we relate to those we work with matters deeply.

When people feel uneasy collaborating with us in teams or shared spaces, it cuts off opportunities for partnership, which can be the very thing that lifts us to the next level.

No matter how skilled we are, if our attitude makes us unteachable, it becomes the barrier to our own success

▪︎ The Divine 

The role of the divine is simply God’s intervention in shaping our talent into meaningful service.

This in no way promises miracles that skip the process, but instead celebrates the beauty of gradual progress, finding joy in every step along the way.

In this, we come to understand the importance of timing, offering ourselves grace as our talent slowly blossoms into full maturity over time.

Like a seed planted, carefully nurtured and tended until it blooms in its due season.

Furthermore, seeing our talent from a divine perspective leads us to recognize it as an ability entrusted to us by God for the purpose of serving others.

This realization shifts everything, sharpening our hard work and attitude.

We work harder, unwilling to waste our talent.

We grow humbler, recognizing our talent as a divine gift and doesn't make us better than anyone else.

■ A Rallying Call 

The trapped talent is yearning to move forward, for more than anyone, it knows it can be so much more.

Yet, just like everyone else, it’s still at a loss as to what has gone wrong despite all that initial promise.

Now, some of its former confidence and faith have given way to fear and doubt, a crushing sense that it might never fulfill its destiny.

Here, a big factor is usually age, the times that have gone by, but it's never too late to start again this time with more experience and purpose.

In this, it’s important to understand that if the best time to have started was a few years ago, a few more years will still come, and by then, we’d wish we had started today.

So we might as well do so now; but first, we need to drop all that self pity, accept where we are, and then reach out for all the help we may need

We must revive that fearless part of us that once dared greatly, before recent failures intimidated it into retreat.

You’re still capable.

Summary:

We'd end this discussion with these lines from Thomas Gray;

“Full many a gem of purest ray serene,

The dark unfathom'd caves of ocean bear:

Full many a flower is born to blush unseen,

And waste its sweetness on the desert air”

It's time to step forward, to stop hiding, to make something happen, matching our belief with actions.

Nothing will come to you because you're special, after all, everyone is.

Master Apprentice.

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