Last week (15/08/2022), the discussion centered on my son’s good skills in music, despite his poor football skills. I promised a part two of the discussion and here it is; my second takeaway.
Your child may not be good at Mathematics, Physics or Chemistry, nonetheless, your child may be good at Art or Commercial subjects. Help your child discover his or her potential and do all you can to inspire them in that direction. That may just be the cornerstone for his future achievements.
Fits and all, when a discussion is on talent and skills, the reminiscence of my childhood in Unguwan Television, Kaduna State comes alive. Every kid in the community was a football freak with names such as Conti, Bebeto, Baggio, and the likes (names of professional footballers at the time). Hence toeing such lines was almost natural.
In Dimka Babes, I played forward, position eight to be specific, frequenting Unguwan Maichibi Primary School for training every evening. Although I was very dedicated in training, I was a chronic bench warmer during crucial encounters. I knew the coach didn’t have anything personal against me; just that I did not possess the required skills. Nonetheless, my youthful exuberance would not let me come to terms with the hard reality that I was not cut out for football.
Often, after the match, on my way home, each step sounded like a thousand voices telling me because I was not good at football, I was not good at anything else. I remember scoring only a goal throughout the nearly four years of tinkering with football. That day, our coach considered our opponent an underdog, and if anything, the goal from me proved it.
My turning point was when I began attending Church. Shortly afterwards, I was made the Youth Leader, with its concomitance of having to address the crowd. Soon, I discovered I had the gift of exhortation. That position also required writing sermons and other key meeting notes which became the impetus to my writing skills. Few years later, I also discovered I was good in creative writing.
Today, I have seven (7) titles to my name, with so many platforms for seminar/workshop presentations. Indeed I am grateful to God that my personal discovery broke the jinx of failure and low esteem in my childhood. You too can swim in that reality. Just look inwards; what is that thing which comes naturally or you find easy to accomplish, or love to do; that makes work look like play? Find out and put your shoulder to the wheel today!
