Many people struggle to find their talents. Coming into high school, society puts a lot of pressure on high school students to figure out their hobbies or future career path. Discovering one’s talent while going through many challenges that come with being a high school student is not easy. However, not finding one’s talent could lead to the loss of potential for life-changing possibilities. People must discover their talent!
First, talent is the abilities that one is born with, which lead to a satisfactory performance both in learning and in the execution of skills. For example, the talent to negotiate, invent or communicate. Although many people use talent and hobbies interchangeably, the two should not be misused (Discovering your talent n.d). There is a difference between possessing a skill and having the talent to perform that skill. A person with a talent for a profession can learn to execute that profession far more easily. Talent can also be associated with vocation.
When one first goes into high school, they are often bombarded with questions such as; “What sports do you play?” and “What clubs are you apart of?” All of these questions can be quite overwhelming for most students in grades 9 – 12. With the pressure from friends and family to start thinking about one’s future with the abundance of schoolwork to complete alongside it, many people lose themselves and lose their youth and the opportunity to discover their talents.
Unfortunately, genuine talent identification is simply not a high priority in most of our schools today. In contrast, we are quick to identify weaknesses rather than strengths… “George is struggling with his writing.” “Mary can’t handle science.” (Dixon 2018) With this being stated, many high school students focus more on their failures and what they “cannot” do rather than putting energy into their talents and passions.
Moreover, discovering one’s talent is not something that could be done overnight. For someone to be able to find their talents and passion, they dig deep and know who they are first. To discover a talent, one has to be open to trying new things. For example, one could be interested in playing the guitar but be too scared to try because they are too afraid to fail. If only they would believe in themselves, they could unleash their potential.
An individual’s talent could also be shaped by their characteristics; ie the set of values, beliefs, paradigms, physical and psychogenic characteristics, and the influence of the external environment (Discovering your talent n.d). Although talent has been said to be something one is born with, the discovery of it could be influenced by one’s belief. If an individual has limiting beliefs, they will not be able to go out of their comfort zone and discover their true potential.
Furthermore, discovering one’s talent is important. Schools could aid in students’ talent discovery by structuring some learning activities that give students particularly good opportunities to demonstrate their talent potential (How to identify and develop special talents n.d.). For example, schools should provide interactive activities that will aid in students’ talent discovery. Rather than always engaging in blind and repetitive learning, students need the opportunity to grow themselves. Students need to be able to engage in activities that broaden their horizons. One should be allowed to showcase their talents no matter how big or small.
Written by: Aisha Makama
August 14, 2022
