Do You Even Know What You're Good At?
When your hidden talent is so well hidden that you haven't found it yet.
If someone asked you right now, what you’re good at, would you know the answer or would you struggle to come up with one?
Would you tell them about your job at Dairy Queen (because let’s be clear…Dairy Queen milkshakes are a gift the world needs!) or your career in finance because you think you’re pretty good at it and sexy numbers awaken your inner diva/divo?
Or perhaps you’d tell them one of your hobbies simply because your hobby is your passion.
“What are you good at?” can be a tough question to answer because we secretly want what we’re good at to also be useful—something the world wants.
I’ll tell you what I want. I WANT to be a cake decorator. I don’t want to do any baking but I desperately want to decorate cakes because who doesn’t want to spectacularly fail at a chocolate hedgehog cake just for the fun of it?
We low-key wish that our talent, skill, or hobby could become a career or at the very least, something we can get paid for.
But if this were true for everyone, we’d all be living our dreams in technicolor and living larger than a rent-controlled apartment.
Most times, we want what we’re good at to be more meaningful in our lives, rather than just a side gig to fill our spare time (Helloooooo writers, this one’s for you! 😁)
On the flip side…
Maybe we’re not even as good at what we love as we think. At least, not good enough to get paid for it. But does paid equal satisfaction and fulfillment? And if getting paid is the only reason you want to do something, does that equate to being good at it?
The internet is saturated with lessons on how to turn our passions into full-time incomes but rarely does this actually happen because, well…. saturation.
What’s so special about your Instagram craft photos, modelling photos, and travel photos, over anyone else’s? Have we become so obsessed with trying to be discovered that we’ve lost the joy in just “doing” for no reason other than personal satisfaction?
I can speak on this from a very personal standpoint. I was a destination writer for ten years and never dedicated a single thought to whether I was good at it. I did it for the sheer love of sharing my adventures with an audience.
I wasn’t super interested in doing the grunt work to figure out how to make my millions because I did it for the love.
Sure, I had pangs of jealousy knowing there were travel bloggers out there making a ton of money while travelling the world, but I still didn’t have the oomph to learn how to become one of them.
I left the six figures to someone else because I just enjoyed a modest five figures and total freedom.
Recently, I stumbled across an Instagram account that blew my mind. It’s a 19-year-old vegan kid who makes the coolest food creations I’ve ever seen.
He (or she?) has over 1.2 million followers, which is more than some mainstream celebrities have, and guess what? This kid isn’t even selling anything! At least, it’s not clear if he/she is selling anything. There’s no “buy now” link to any website in the profile and no sales hooks are found in any posts.
This person is strictly showing off their love and passion for creation…and doing it very well I might add. The photos are mesmerizing and tantalizing!
So, back to the original question, “What are you good at?”
Do you know the answer to that?
I have no idea what I’m good at besides writing stellar headlines and making people laugh through my words. But is that a talent or is it my job?
If it’s supposed to be my job then will someone please go tell the others that they’re supposed to pay for a subscription here? 😂😂
Over the years, hundreds of people have told me that my writing inspires and that I truly reach people, but I don’t tend to assume the same. I just do it because I’m antisocial and still like to communicate with the outside world.
Are you one of the lucky ones who has been able to turn your passion into a career?
Or are you one of the content ones who is simply fulfilled by having a passion aside from your career?
I've been bouncing this idea around in my head a lot lately. Having more time to myself and less spent agonizing over a toxic career environment got me to to thinking what I wanted to spend my time doing. What are my hobbies? I've spent twenty years slaving away and my free time was spent resting from the exhaustion of it all. I haven't invested any time in hobbies. Strangely, cooking and baking are things I enjoy doing and yet, I feel like these are less a hobby than a way of life. I do feel like there is pressure to push any interest, any hobby, into a side hustle. Can't we just enjoy doing something?
One of my favorite content creators says:
“Have the audacity of a mediocre white man.”
They’re usually barely decent at their jobs but gain managerial status while mansplaining to those with Masters Degrees. Their art and creativity is subpar, probably stolen or appropriated, and then sold for millions. Their opinions and thoughts are shrouded in entitlement and societal programming, and yet it’s what laws are based on.
It’s hardly ever your lack of skill, knowledge, talent, or opportunities. It’s usually the complete lack of confidence in all your weirdo glory…because that’s how the program was written and we all fall victim.