I was thinking about this as I was completing a long tempo swim yesterday. I wasn’t born to swim, but with only 3 weeks available, I jumped in a pool and started training to complete a triathlon. The first time, I couldn’t swim more than a lap and I would be so exhausted that I had to catch a breather on the edge of the pool while thinking “What have I gotten myself into?!?” Yesterday I swam a full mile, no stopping. So was I born to swim? Hardly. I invested hard work and lots of positive thinking to go from 1 lap to a full mile in 3 months.
The same has been true for everything I’ve done in my life. I may have been born with some talents or tendencies towards some of the things I’ve done (for example, I have perfect pitch, which made music come easier to me than most kids). Even in the areas of some God-given talent, I had to learn a skill, practice the skill and work hard to become really good at the skill. I wasn’t a born swimmer or runner or weight lifter or chef or musician or wife – I have to continue investing practice and hard work into these areas. I have to keep telling myself that I can do this or that, so as not to get discouraged and take the easier route that requires little or no hard work.
Learn a skill, practice the skill and put a little hard work and positive thinking into the skill. It’s the secret to success. No more living behind the crutch of “I wasn’t born to do that…”. We were not “born to run”, but a little hard work will make it appear and feel like we were born runners!
fitnesskelly 