We've got talent!

Everyone has talent. What is rare is the courage to follow the talent to the dark place where it leads.
Erica Jong


There's a lot of competitions out there that try to discover raw talent from almost everyone who has the guts, the talent or both. It's amazing how much talent there is all over the world. And as much as there are really talented people out there who know that they've got IT, there are also people who think and believe that they have what it takes when they actually don't!

I think it's still mind-boggling how the second group of people could confidently, and sometimes cockily, audition without ever realizing that they belong somewhere else! I do not mean to offend but people ought to realize what their real talents really are! Just because they love music and singing does not necessarily mean that they would make great singers. What's sad is that a lot of these people constantly pursue a dream that will never become reality for them. I don't know what's worse -- that there are people who believe too much in themselves or that the people around them do not tell them the truth! I think its pathetic when family and friends "support" their kin with the wrong ambition and pursuits because they do not want to hurth their feelings or negatively affect their self-esteem. It's not fair!

In one of the X-Factor auditions that I chanced upon, there was this girl who "marketed" herself to the judges before she sang. Her singing was not horrible but it was not impressive either. She was shocked when Simon told her that she doesn't have it. She countered by asking why she would be hired over and over again by her employers (she's like a music instructor at some camp) if she were not good. In the end all four judges told her to focus on marketing, sales or become a motivational speaker instead. I think what hurt her more was the thought that she was in the wrong profession, having trained for several years in singing! She would have probably taken it well if she was told that she was not good enough; but to be told that she did not have IT and that she should consider doing something else.....I don't know what has become of that girl but if she were a mature person, she would have probably given the judges' suggestions a second thought and pursue one of them.

There are children who were brought up by parents who encourage and affirm them. There's nothing wrong with that. Parents ought to do just that. But it's one thing to encourage and affirm children and tell them how great they are when they truly are great, it's another to let them think that they have IT when they don't. They grow up deluded and conceited and get sorely disappointed when other people tell them the truth.

It's not easy to accept the fact that we're not good at something that we love doing. But the earlier we realize that, the better for us. Most people limit "talent" to the arts. What people need to realize is that everyone is capable of doing something really well, not just because they are trained for that but because they have the desire and the passion to doing it very well. One just has to start being conscious of one's strengths and discover what makes you smile, happy, and passionate about.

I believe that EVERYONE has a special gift from God. Declaring that you are talent-less is like saying that God has not loved you enough, which is totally untrue!

We've all got talent and sooner or later, we are responsible for sharing it with the world!