Tuesday 12 August 2008

Special Talent

Olympic is the word in most people’s mouth these days and rightly so. People from all corners of the world proudly represent their own country and fight for the medals with passion and skill. For every single athlete participating is something special.
But for one guy this Olympics is more than special in many ways. Yeah! You guessed it. Michael Phelps. What an athlete. I have followed him from Athens. He is going for 8 gold medals in this year’s version. Most people would be more than happy to get on that podium. But that’s not enough for him. I watched his 200 mm free style race this morning and he broke the world record on his way to his 3rd gold medal.

Anyway the reason I started talking about Olympics and Michael Phelps is that when I was watching him this morning I started wondering about his talent. When I was a kid, my Grand mum used to tell me that every person would have blessed with a special talent, or in some cases talents.

Then my mind started wondering about my special talent. Now the question is what do I have as a special talent? Whole day I was thinking about this. Finally just after I had my dinner, I realised. I haven’t got anything that’s useful at all. Ha ha LOL.
May be I have a talent or may be I don’t have one, But if I have one, I have been able to spot it yet. May be I am one of those who, people call “late starter” (yeah right...dreaming on)

After awhile I gave up on me and started thinking about people around me. What do they have? And I couldn’t come up with anything significance for people around me. Other than I got people who are very good at gloating, gossiping, not to mention jealousy. LOL
But I still believe in what my grand mum said to me. But the problem is that only very few percentage of people would spot their own talent or their kid’s talent, and explore it. It’s almost like being at the right place at the right time. Unless a person tries everything in his lifetime he wouldn’t know whether he is any good at those.

Just imagine that if I had a special talent in Ice-skating. I was bloody born in Sri Lanka, how the hell I would know whether I am good at it or not. Having a special talent isn’t enough. If you got something and if you sit at home, doing nothing, then you might as well not have the talent.

Even specials talents needs spotting early and honed for future. Now I understand why parents send their kids to all the classes they could think of. Not because the next door neighbour’s kids going. LOL.

I think only very few percentages of people spot their special talent early. And even out of those people, very rarely people maximise it.

Just think of cricketers who do very well in under-19 world cups and tournaments and fade away from the scene as the years go by.

But some with minimum amount special talent survive with their hard work, and some even gets to the top with sheer hard work with little bit of luck of course.
I said luck because you got to be at the right place at the right time with the right talent. And right people behind you. Sometimes people need that extra push from luck after all.
Its time to think! what you guys got… and if you think you can do something…just do it...and so at least you know that whether you are good at that or sucks.
So when the day comes to quit …you can feel that you have given 100% of you for everything. No regrets.

Only regrets you would have will be the ones you have never tried

Go for it people and Take care

1 comment:

Keshi said...

Michael Phelps is a true champion!

Keshi.