This is going to be a strange post. Mostly because it’s not about how great I am, and how talented I am, and how intelligent I am, and how wise I am; but because it’s going to sound like I’m talking about how wonderful I am, and all those other things.

So, here’s the question of the day: is there any person on Earth who literally has unlimited potential?

I’m talking about a person who, with a little training and education, could do anything: become a salesman, play a sport, run a business, write a book, make a film, be a standup comedian, design architecture, learn a craft, build a tiny house, get good at video games, perform in public by acting, speaking, or singing, design graphics and make art, or even become a teacher of these things…

If you know of someone like this – someone who has the talent, inspiration, and physical and mental prowess to achieve mastery in any subject or field – then I would very much like to meet them.

Because I, myself, have found that I can get good at just about anything with the right mindset, inspiration, education, and time.

Of course, you might say this about anyone, but how many people do you know who just completely, and always, butcher a joke? Even when you are the one who told the joke to them, so you know not only exactly what the joke is but also exactly how you told it, you will still find that this person simply cannot recite the joke correctly. They, instead, ruin the joke… that is, they simply lack the instincts necessary to perform the joke. They don’t understand comedic timing. They put parts of the joke in plain sight that were meant to be hidden away until the opportune time. This is what makes a person “bad at telling jokes.” Which would also make them a bad comedian, comedy writer, or comedy actor.

But of course anyone can learn to make a shelf. Children in middle school take shop class and make all sorts of things.

Do they?

I’m sure, if you took shop class, you can recall a kid who simply couldn’t cut a board straight, much less build a shelf. And if you can’t recall who that kid was, well…

And it’s like this with everything: not everyone can learn to play sports. Not everyone can learn to play instruments. Not everyone can learn to program a computer. Not everyone can learn to write well written stories. Not everyone can learn to build. Not everyone can learn to sing. Not everyone can learn to make art. In fact, you might just say that most people have a talent for doing a thing. Some have a talent for performing. Others, a talent for maths. Others, a talent for computers. Others, a talent for logic, and others still, a talent for abstract thought.

But you could also say that some have raw skill. Or rather, a talent for crafts. That being the learning of technical skills used to produce something or to manage something. Perhaps they can fix things. Perhaps they can organize things. Perhaps they can even relate to other people. We usually call these people a “jack of all trades,” or in the business world a “generalist.”

But that’s not who I’m talking about. I’m talking about a person who is generally good at anything they try, and who, with a little education and time (along with the inspiration and desire) can actually move past the satisfactory and become exceptional at the task, skill, or art.

Unfortunately, I believe this person to be me.

I say this person is “me” because I have so many skills, and whatever I do I am able to do easily and well. I can see the advancement I could make if only I gave it a little more effort or gave myself a little more time.

And I say “unfortunately” because I take this aptitude for all things and the random inspirations I have to do any one of them on a given day as a sign to do the thing. Yet, I also do not necessarily desire to do all things. I simply have the ability to do them.

I also have this annoying desire to be better than others at them. Which may have, in the past more so than now, caused me to become better at the thing in order to do better at the thing than the others whom I thought were doing the thing poorly, or downright wrong.

And that’s no way to live.

Likewise, believing that you can indeed do anything is no way to live.

But I also believe that thinking life has no meaning and you have no purpose is no way to live.

So, I suppose my battle is more about deciding to let go of what I don’t really want in order to hold on to the things that bring me the most joy. And then figuring out a way to use those things to endure life. Choosing to be happy with what I have, and do what I can with it. Loving the people I have in my life and cherishing our moments together.

That sounds like a good way to live.

-Diggs out

P.S. – I guess I should have mentioned THE way: Jesus. You can’t go wrong if you go with Jesus. But also, you have talents and gifts that God gave you. And you should use them. But whatever you do you should do it with love, for the glory of God.

P.P.S. – if this post sounds (or reads?) different that my other posts, it’s probably because I have been watching a YouTube channel called CSLewisDoodle, and I kinda had those narrators’ voices in my head while writing this. (one of which was C.S. Lewis himself… since they are his writings and BBC broadcasts…)