I have seen some of the most talented kids squander their skills. Most of the time, it’s because they were praised for their talents instead of their work ethic. Once they couldn’t succeed on talent alone, they lost interest.
Sunday Firesides took up this topic in their weekly blog:
“To keep your talents in an embryonic state, to squander your capacities, to refuse to develop your finest qualities is a kind of self-disrespect. Honoring who you are requires becoming who you could be.”
Talent is only a starting point. Any talent needs to be developed, honed, or fine-tuned. This often requires extra effort. The problem is not that we have talentless kids; it’s that we have kids that haven’t been developed.
Self-development is not easy. It often requires putting forth additional effort to improve. Needless to say, it often requires some aspect of pain. However, self-development should be taken seriously. Sunday Firesides concludes:
“When there are things for you to do, that only you can do, self-development is more than an optional hobby: it is a moral responsibility — something you owe the world, and yourself. Developing your highest powers is an actual duty; mediocrity a bona fide sin.”
As farmers and ranchers, our goal should not be to just make a profit, but to improve our farms and ranches and the lives of those around us.
Some of us have other talents like leadership, advocacy, and/or education. Developing those talents is vital to a thriving community. It’s also vital to leading a purposeful and God-centered life and encouraging the next generation.
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