The list of things at which I’m good is not long... Loading the dishwasher so that every bit of available space is utilized... And, perhaps, not coincidently, Tetris... Otherwise, I’m mostly mediocre at other things. Which isn’t good, because unless there's a sudden marketplace demand for Dishwasher Storage Capacity Consultant, those aren't profitable talents.
It makes me wonder if there’s some gift I haven’t yet discovered. One that, had it been realized and cultivated from youth, could’ve brought about fame and fortune. Or at least taken me further than where I am now.
I know it’s not singing, because while angels might get their wings whenever a bell rings, halos crack whenever I voice a tune. But what if I had it in me to be a good therapist? Architect? Cruise ship captain?
The idea is unsettling. Because it means there is untapped potential.
I was recently confronted with this while playing tennis with my kids. They had lifted a racket on the court maybe one other time, years ago. But after watching it on TV, they were inspired to play themselves. Their serves and rallies back and forth across the net completely surprised me, making me wonder why we hadn’t tried this sooner. Now, it wasn’t prodigious levels of talent, but I was impressed by how easily they took to it.
It also got me thinking how many unknown, undiscovered mother lodes of talent are out there in the world, waiting to be found?
How many historic medical benefits has humanity missed because some third-world child with the cure for cancer rattling around inside their brain doesn’t have the access to education enabling him or her to realize that achievement?
Or a celloist with the ability to craft a song so moving and melodious it could usher in world peace but they will never pick up an instrument because of the golf club forced into their hands from a dad being bound and determined to make them the next Tiger Woods?
Imagine all the sliding door scenarios of solving social ills thanks to cultivated hidden talents of individuals everywhere where no obstacles existed to keep them from flourishing...
I like to think if we are provided God-given abilities, God would allow them to boil to the surface at some point so they don’t go to waste. I’d hate to stand before Him one day and be like, “What do you mean I was supposed to be the greatest roller derby coach of all time?!” Same with everybody else.
I suppose that’s why we have late bloomers in life. Like Jim Carey, Grandma Moses, and George W. Bush becoming a prolific painters after earlier careers. Colonel Sanders—not the oft-portrayed caricature in commercials, but the actual guy—didn’t discover his secret 11 herbs and spices until his 40s and didn’t establish KFC until his 60s.
That’s why it’s important to try doing new things. Who knows? Maybe that inkling to do some woodwork or cook up a salsa recipe could usher in something new. To be fair, some honest self-examination is probably warranted as well, meaning I should probably put those MMA thoughts aside. But there’s always dishwasher loading efficiency consulting... If you just ordered a 12-piece bucket from KFC, your kitchen's a mess and the dishwasher appears full, let me know... I can help.
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