How your individuality is your advantage
A kid raised a hand. “What if we ain’t got special talent? How are we gonna get ours in the world by working for minimum wages?”
“I’ll tell you a parable about talent,” said the Wealthy Gardener, striding to the podium. “There was once an eagle raised by chickens on a farm. As the eagle grew up, she loved her chicken family despite not fitting in with them. The eagle wasn’t good at scratching in the dirt for worms, and she struggled to perform what were everyday activities for the other chickens. Worse, it was evident that the eagle had no interest in these chicken activities. To say the least, life was difficult for the eagle trying to exist as a chicken.
“One day, another eagle flew overhead. The sight of it caused a stir in the chicken-eagle. The confused bird confided to several chickens that she felt drawn to fly like that mighty eagle. The chickens laughed, of course, and ridiculed the idea. As the story goes, the eagle was miserable. One fateful day, she finally spread her wings and rose into the air, while the chickens watched in shock. From heights of the heavens, the eagle could spot subtle movements on the ground below. And she could swoop down to grab her food with talons that were not made for scratching in the dirt for worms. You see, for her, it was easier to be a mighty eagle—the monarch of the sky—than to be a chicken. In being an eagle, she found her self-worth and fullest potential.”
He looked around the room. “What’s the moral of the story?”
“Don’t hang out with chickens?” wisecracked a kid.
The Wealthy Gardener chuckled. “Your joke may not be as false as you think,” he said. “But there are two morals: First, the eagle was never interested in activities for which she had no talent. And second, it was easier for the eagle to do greater tasks when the tasks were aligned with her strengths. Each of you will graduate as an eagle to fly in your own direction.”
The class was quiet.
“You need to discover and follow your interests,” he continued slowly, “and in those interests, notice the activities that are easiest for you. You’re gifted for a few best activities. You can do a few things more naturally than the crowd, and you can learn some things more easily than others can. Look for the things that are difficult for others but not for you. A chicken will live in defeat trying to be an eagle, and an eagle will live in defeat trying to be a chicken.”
“My dad makes minimum wage. Is that living in defeat?”
“I don’t know his situation. But if you want to avoid his fate, you’ll follow the strategy of discovering your talents and using them. Master a set of rare skills that are valued by others, and you’ll have a different story to tell your kids. Disregard your talents, and success will be a constant struggle.”
– Excerpt from The Wealthy Gardener
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