That was actor, TV host, and former NFL player Terry Crews. Those were his comments when he was told that he was a natural at acting. He refuted the idea and went on to tell us about the many hours of practice he does every day in order to improve his craft.
I believe that Terry is 90% correct. I believe that if anyone puts in the hard work, they can become good at anything they set their mind to. But I also believe that certain people have gifts or talents that when combined with hard work can achieve even higher levels.
However, even for those who may have some innate talent, practice remains necessary to increase their potential. Without dedication and effort, natural abilities alone may not be enough to achieve a high level of competence.
As a dance teacher, I had very talented students who didn’t practice, so they stagnated, while I had other students who initially seemed to have very little talent but with lots of practice, they became quite good dancers.
I am certain that I don’t have any innate talent for talking to the camera when I am recording my YouTube videos, but because it’s something that it’s important to me, I am willing to put in the hard work. I am eager to see how much progress I will make a year from now.
I want to offer you the same challenge. Pick an activity where you would like to improve (write the activity in the comments) and let’s check back a year from now to see how much improvement you have made.
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