Talent, Fame, Response
“Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.” – John Wooden
We may never know or fully expect how a creation may take off and if success will come, potentially along with fame and money. Usually the ideas and creations from outside of the box are the ones that can bring unexpected success. Innovation and creativity are what’s needed to keep inventions moving forward. Being centered in a purpose and goal allows one to stay level headed if success comes with fame and fortune.
We’re given our talents for a reason and we should use them wisely. We can’t be quick to judge a person by how much fame or money they’ve acquired. A great deal of luck goes into who becomes famous. Additionally, there are many more people with great talent who are publicly unknown. Worth is not contingent upon fame or money.
When we put our talents to use for God’s purpose, we can then find satisfaction within the results, no matter how small they may be. You never know how big of an impact your actions may have on someone else. The inspiration provided to another person might be the spark they needed to create something even bigger.
Fame is just an acknowledgement from other people. Fame may feel great because we feel publicly appreciated and validated by our contributions. However, fame doesn’t mean anything unless we are putting our efforts into the right cause. Just being popular doesn’t serve any real purpose. Popularity is just temporary, whereas work done for God is continuous and further rewarding because it allows us to do something for more than just ourselves.
It’s not difficult for arrogance, pride, and conceit to sneak it’s way into our lives. This is especially true if we are in positions of power, influence, and control. We may put more value in our own strengths, believing that we deserve more and more because we earned it.
When fame is the priority, our mindset has made a priority of external motivations. Intrinsic motivation is what comes from the heart. While there is nothing wrong with fame, we will tire ourselves out if we make it our priority. Fame will pass, and no one will remember you as time moves on. This doesn’t mean that our lives are in vain. Setting our minds on the things that are eternal and pleasing to God will allow us to find satisfaction, not only in this life, but also for the next.
For additional reading related to movivation, please check out: Do What You Can
