After watching the 2012 summer Olympics, I can't help but look at some of these athletes and think, I could do that. I mean, give me six months of good training with the right diet, coaching and vitamins, and I could compete with those guys. Sure, right? Then reality hits and you realize those athletes are physically gifted. Personally, I think everyone has a gift or two they can share with the world throughout their lifetime. You just have to figure out what it is and don't be afraid to fail while trying new things.
As a kid, I grew up watching legendary Seattle Supersonics point guard Gary Payton drop dimes all over Key Arena. When I watched him on the court, he looked like a dwarf on TV in comparison to NBA's big men. To see The Glove driving to the hoop against Shaq, he looked like a kid, but in person he's 6' 4". In person these dwarfish-looking point guards are massive men. I still remember meeting Sonics shooting guard Ricky Pierce in the SeaTac airport. Pierce never looked like a big guy on TV, but in person he towered over the average man and packed more muscle than I ever imagined. Yes, those guys are gifted physically.
But just the physical gift isn't enough. You have to put in work. This year I remember listening to UFC's mixed martial arts fighter Tito Ortiz on a radio show saying something about how he's a fighter from the time he gets up to the time he goes to bed. When some guy comes up to him at a bar and thinks he can take him on, he said that guy is out of his mind because he doesn't live fighting the way Ortiz does. He probably works a 9-5, makes it to the gym three days a week and fights with his buddies on the weekends, but that doesn't mean he has what it takes to beat up an MMA fighter who trains professionally full time to kick ass.
But don't git me wrong, being gifted and putting in the work isn't only for athletes. Obviously, not everyone is athletically gifted. Some people are musically gifted. Take Maroon 5 front man Adam Levine for example. I recently watched him mentor a competitor on the show The Voice. When I heard the contestant struggle to sing the song and then Adam nailed it on the first try, it's obvious why he's the star. Some might say one's gift comes from having good genes. You know, if your mom an dad were great athletes, then you'll be a great athlete. If you mom and dad can sing, then you can sing. Sure, that helps, but it's not all genetics. A few years back there was another competition show that paired children of music stars against each other. Kenny Loggins son Crosby Loggins won the MTV show Rock The Cradle in 2008. When they came out and sang Kenny's hit "I'm Alright" together, it was obvious that young Crosby had gotten some of his dad's legendary talent, but he wasn't gifted vocally like Kenny. He couldn't carry the song and make it a hit the way Kenny did.
For me, it was like listening to J-Lo sing a duet with Marc Anthony. Sure, J-Lo had the chops needed to sing well enough to put together a hook for a great dance song, but put her on stage with Marc and there's no comparison about who received the vocal gift. Luckily, she has other gifts. That little pib squeak Marc Anthony can sure sing!
Some people are lucky enough to receive multiple gifts. Take Wonder Years star Danica McKeller (aka.Winnie Cooper). Anyone my age remembers Danica. Who didn't have a crush on the doe eyed Winnie Cooper back in the 90s? I thought Fred Savage was the luckiest kid in the world to have a shot at kissing Winnie. Since then, Winnie has grown up. She's not only still beautiful and physically gifted with the body to turn heads, she's also studied mathematics a graduated summa cum laude from UCLA in 1998. Since then she has written several books about math.
I think the problem most people have with finding their gift is that we all hold ourselves to a higher standard. In fact, the highest standard. If we jump in a pool and don't automatically swim like Olympian Michael Phelps, then we're no good and we're a failure. In my world, I'm constantly comparing myself to others. Some of my sports photos are pretty great and some people say I have a gift at capturing a moment, but I always look at them and know they're not quite as good as the guy who shoots for the Herald. Some of my portrait work has turned out pretty awesome, but it doesn't compare to the guys who are published in magazines.
I think we have to realize there are differing levels of success in any venture we explore. If you feel you have a gift, then you do. Use it for all it's worth and be confident that the results will continue improving the more you do it. When I do a portrait photo shoot these days, I tell the model that it's not just me creating the art. Together we create something and allowing that piece of art to be seen and judged by others is a challenge. It's not easy for the model and it's not easy for me either. But I'm not afraid to try. I'm not afraid to hold myself to that higher standard.
Yesterday I watched a 20 year old on the Today Show talk about some sort of computer program he's working with to create art and how when people try new things, they automatically hold themselves to this higher standard. We expect greatness right away. If I pick up a guitar and can't play like Carlos Santana, then I'm a failure. His suggestion was to fail quick and move on. Not sure I exactly agree with what he was saying, but it does have its merits. We shouldn't be afraid to try new things, search for our gifts and grow from each comparison we can make to greatness. Some gifts are obvious from the time you're born. Michael Phelps was destined to swim for Olympics golds, but even he will face the challenge of discovering his next great gift. Even he will face comparisons to the higher standard we face every day. Hopefully we all can accept that next challenge, improve on our gifts and celebrate in our comparisons to greatness.
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