Owning a Skill

It’s not unusual to find people who are very talented, but feel uncomfortable being acknowledged for their skill. It’s almost if they feel embarrassed to be noticeably skilled and will readily downplay related compliments. On the other hand, there are more than enough people who are overly confident in themselves and want everyone to know how great they are for any amount of skill.

While there’s nothing wrong with being good at something, the context is quite important as well as the implications of being skilled. First the implication of being skilled assumes responsibility. People may look to you for help, instruction, and you may be placed with responsibility. This may be the biggest reason why some people are unconfident with being noticeably good – added pressure, expectation, and responsibility. However, what good is a skill that’s just thrown in the dark? It would be better to not spend any time developing a skill than to waste time becoming good only to never use that skill. One would be better off reading or doing something productive.

Secondly, the context of your skill is important – meaning, why and how you use your skill is important. Simply put, a skill is most useful when it’s a passion. Also, a skill is best used when it benefits more than just the person who carries it. The more purposeful and directed that skill is, the depth of its value is further increased. However, this doesn’t mean that we all need to be famous and have everyone see us doing great things in order to be valuable.

We don’t usually pick our talents; they come naturally to us. Some of these skills will be more behind-the-scenes and others will be in plain view of the public. Worth isn’t contingent upon popularity - we should find worth in pursing our passion with vigor, and find contentment in being useful.

The hardest part is not letting the ego get involved. Many of us want to be recognized, praised, honored, etc (even if we’re shy about it). When we feel unappreciated, we lose steam eventually. Sometimes the world seems cold, selfish, and unappreciative – and often it can seem this way. However, there’s a deep satisfaction in knowing that God notices every labor, both seen and unseen. If all were in vain for a decaying world, then no lasting satisfaction would be gained. However if we do the most in this life with our eyes focused on the next, we’ll never lose momentum.

For further related reading, please check out: Service, Care, and Sustainability.