How often have we heard the familiar words of, “If I really wanted to, I could do that, too”? I really doubt that you can, but am I really that cynical?

I often think about why there are so much talent in the world, but on the reverse, there are just as much waste in our human population. I’m not talking about garbage or anything like that – I am referring to the useless people wasting their lives away. I started thinking about the words, “If I really wanted to, I could do that, too” while I was on the bus. I saw something, which I won’t mention what, and it really ignited a trail of thoughts. On TV, I see all these people talking about their accomplishments and I think nothing of them. I always say to myself that it’s not that hard of a task and if anyone really puts their mind to it they can, too.

But are competency and ability really the issue? Are all our abilities so far different from each other that we can’t even be comparable relative to our physical and mental structures? I never doubted the capacity of a human ability – I doubt the capacity of the human will power. So many people claim pretentiously that they are capable of so much and they discount the achievements of others. Masterpieces of art gain only a couple seconds of ones attention and a farmers pride and time spent in the crops are wolfed down without appreciation. Long have we forgotten not the amount of skill that goes into a piece of pride and determination, but the amount of will power required to execute. Initiating the task and continuing through it, from start to finish, conclusively, is the single most hardest task to any task. Thought experiments that one might conduct while watching feats completed cannot possibly compare to the actual task of doing it. Non-smokers scoff at the difficulty of quitting smoking and a gamblers addiction is a joke to by-standers.

Take a step aside and really reconsider the scoff that you just delivered. Can you complete something the same? Can you put your mind through that agony of determination to accomplish something comparable? Your hands, your feet, and your muscles are not incapable – your mind is. Therefore, encourage talent and admire talent, in whatever shape or form. The talent is done for you so you don’t have to.