Talent is a wonderful thing, and I’d love to have a little myself. But the question is, does talent determine greatness? Certainly, we honor men and women with remarkable talent, and in most cases, the culture worships extraordinarily talented people.
But greatness is not solely determined by talent. This means that even if you don’t consider yourself exceptionally talented, you still have the potential to achieve greatness.
In other words, we should never affirm people’s talent more than their character.
You may have the talent, but do you have the will to act? Do you have the will to make the hard choices? The ethical choices? The sacrificial choices?
People with far less talent will often do better because they have the will and the discipline to succeed.
You have the power to develop your character and willpower, and in doing so, you can shape a future of greatness.
This article originally appeared on PhilCooke.com and is reposted here by permission.