How often do you see someone give up, simply because they aren’t very good at something? How come people constantly beat themselves up for failing at trying, even when it was their first attempt? Many individuals feel less important solely on the reason that they didn’t perform as well as they had hoped… but why is that? Having success has been so ingrained into our minds that the thought of failing at even the most basic tasks is too much for people to handle. Ultimately, this may prevent them from living a fulfilling life. They simply are too scared to try, just because they don’t want to fail!
Now take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Think about all of the skills and hobbies available to you that you could spend your time on. There are countless opportunities, from sports, to woodworking, to cooking, to… well the list goes on and on. What does this mean for us? Becoming an expert at everything under the sun is darn near impossible. You can try, but you will certainly run out of time in life (leading to more misery). You are never going to be the best at something unless you invest a significant amount of time and resources.
Think about a time when you wished that you could be the best at something. Lets say you wanted to be just like your favorite sports player, for example. Well, they got to where they are because of the the countless hours spent working on perfecting their abilities… in ONE SPORT. Now, if you look at the rest of their skills and abilities, they are most likely another Average Joe or Plain Jane, just like the rest of us. How many superstars go broke because they blow all their money?!?
People become specialized in a field or become an expert in something because they put the hard work into that task. They simply are better than you because of this. There is nothing wrong with that at all, because you probably aren’t interested in becoming the best Foosball player in the world, right? (Well… you could be, but it’s definitely not the most popular choice I would guess!) Let’s look at another example… how many times have you tried to recreate that amazing dish you had at an amazing restaurant? Chances are you won’t be able to make it quite to the same caliber as the place you were at. You can try to imitate, but it never turns out the same…Why? Because the pro’s made it!
Take a look at yourself now. You are just another average person, going about your day, doing the things YOU like to do (not anyone else)… and that is wonderful! You don’t need to beat yourself up, solely on the fact you aren’t good at something. You might excel at a few things (such as your career or hobby), but then you are just average at a multitude of other skills and abilities. Why? You don’t spend nearly the same amount of time improving those aspects of your life since they are not imperative for you to do so.
Take a look at this surfer in Munich. You couldn’t reasonably expect to be able to stand up on the board your first time out (let alone on a river like this one!).
Or this guitar player… he may not be performing on a stage in front of thousands, but you can bet that he has spent countless hours practicing!
Heck, you can’t reasonably expect to erect an amazing statue without practice, could you?
Look at all of the people around you. No, not the movie stars, athletes, politicians, or anyone you might idolize. Take a look at the real people in your city. That cashier? They are just an average person working at a store trying to make a living. That bartender? Another average Joe (or Jane) making money serving drinks to people who can’t make them well enough themselves (or are too lazy). If they were an expert at everything, they certainly wouldn’t be at that job – they would be making millions finding cures for diseases or winning the Super Bowl… or both!
Now go out an enjoy your life being average, because constantly bringing yourself down is a terrible way to go through life, and should be avoided at all costs!
