I have always loved these inspirational stories about parents who stumble on an activity that becomes their child’s passion…
Like the 4 year old who makes paper dresses…
That kid who reviews books on his own blog…
The amazing kid who shoots “impossible” hoops…
And then that kid goes on to become something amazing…
Akiane Kramarik – the child prodigy artist/poet:
Joshua Bell – music prodigy who was 14 years old when the video below was recorded…
And I could go on…
I used to hope that I would be able to do the same with my sons – discover this amazing passion and talent that they had that would be the launch pad into their future careers. Except that nothing so far seems to hold their attention for more than a passing fancy. Well, at 4 and 7 years old, you could say they are still young. Nevertheless, I am a little more realistic now. I still love these inspiring stories and I still hope that they will one day be captivated by some passion that will rocket them into an amazing career, but in the mean time, I’ll settle for teaching them this instead…
How to succeed when you have no special skills
Because “even when your skills are mediocre, an astute combination of mediocrity can turn you into something priceless.”
Take for example…
Bill Gates is not the best programmer in the world, nor is he the world’s greatest speaker, salesperson, visionary or accountant. He’s good enough at these things though, and he’s learnt to weld his skills together into something far more valuable.
Will Smith doesn’t claim to be the world’s greatest actor or musician. But he’s coupled these skills together, combined with a charming personality, shrewd personal branding, and a die-hard work ethic. His whole is far greater than his parts.
“Individual skills are common. Combinations are rarer. If you want to raise your value, take a step back from your strengths, and consider building a broader combination of them.”
What a powerful message to teach our children…
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