Gifted Vs. Talented

You can be gifted, but not talented.

Huh?

Hear me out…

Gifted means you have a natural proclivity for something.  It’s something you’re born with. You’re tall, strong, good at math, you can jump high, run fast, play an instrument perfectly for the first time, draw, paint, sing like a lark, etc…You didn’t do anything to get it. It’s a gift from the gods. Congratulations.

Talented is what you make of yourself. In many cases, it’s developing your gifts, yes. But sometimes, it’s not. There are plenty of examples of people who weren’t naturally gifted for something. But they loved the thing anyway. So much so that they busted their ass to master it. There are also plenty of examples of people who were really gifted at something, but for one reason or another, didn’t develop those gifts.

Either way, don’t worry if you’re gifted.

Go for being talented. Play the long game. Start by developing your taste.