We're all born with natural abilities and skills that we develop as we
grow. Over time, we discover our myriad interests; and along our life's
journey, we may hone those interests and pursue them on some higher
level, or we may just keep them as hobbies. We are wired for these
things. As we change, advance, learn more about ourselves and our lives,
and interact with others, we're introduced to an even larger variety of
interests. We even begin to learn about some hidden knacks, things we
had no idea we could do until unique situations present themselves and
we find ourselves being bad-asses at things that totally surprise us.
Then there is all the stuff in this world that we're not wired
for. Being wired for something is two-fold: there has to be interest and
ability—and the ability can even be minuscule. But in my experience,
I'm gonna venture to say that the element of interest is key in wiring, because without it, there'll be a wall up that will impede you
from exploring any ability you may have for a thing. With interest, even
the smallest amount of ability has potential to be nurtured and
subsequently grown, even if you don't end up being a total bad-ass at
the thing. Maybe you're just adequate, but at least you can do it well
enough to achieve decent results.
I'm not wired for fancy mathematics. By "fancy," I mean anything outside
of the basics of adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing—and
sometimes I have to do those things on a calculator, depending on how
big the equations I'm working with are. I'll tell you in a heartbeat,
"I'm not the math girl," and have no problems with that statement. Why?
Because I have absolutely no interest in anything outside of the forms
of math I just mentioned. None. Zip. I. Do. Not. Care. As long as I can
manage my life doing the basics, I'm cool. When algebra, geometry,
calculus, trigonometry, or any other higher form of math will help me
balance my checkbook or keep track of what's in my wallet, let me know
and I might be able to scrounge up an inkling of interest, enough to get
help with learning it. I already know I'm looking like Cindy Brady on that game show
when it comes to algebra, because it was a painful struggle for me to
get anything higher than a D- in it, in high school, even when my
teacher tried to help me. Had I been the least bit interested in it, I
might've been able to grasp it better. But my wiring was, and still is,
faulty when it comes to that kinda math, and I totally embrace that
fact. Lord forbid I ever need algebra or any of its fancy-mathematics
siblings at the spur of the moment to advance in my life, 'cause I'd
surely be screwed. Oh well!
What I know is this: you are not here to excel or even be good
at everything. A lot of stuff just isn't naturally for you, whether
you're flat-out uninterested, or you're interested but you struggle with
it. I invite you to let that be okay and not find fault with yourself
because of it, even if people try to make you feel like you should or
need to be a this-or-that wizard. If you find that you need to do
something you're not good at, then guess what? That's what the countless
other people out there who are good at it are for—to help you
when you're in a pinch. The beautiful and fascinating thing about life
is that people all over the world are not only interested in but also
masters at that things you're terrible at, and you can seek them out
when necessary.
While I think it's imperative to grow and do and learn as much as you
can in this life, I also feel like it's equally important to accept
yourself for who you are, what your interests are (and are not), and
what inherent skills you have. It's healthy to know and not resist your
limitations. Having limitations is not a bad thing and is nothing to
berate yourself over. I invite you to learn to perceive and speak about
your limitations in a way that doesn't damage your self-esteem. You can
know you're not good at something, you need help getting it done, and still
feel good about yourself. You have so many other great attributes you're
here to showcase and use for your and others' betterment. That's the
stuff that's wise to focus on, develop, and continue to add to, through
your everyday discoveries about yourself.
Enjoy doing and being great at what you're wired for. Let everyone else be great at the stuff you're not wired
for. Just keep their contact info handy for a rainy day; and have yours
ready for those who'll eventually need you to help them over a hump in your field of expertise.
Take good care of yourselves, and always remember to honor the spirit.
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