Natural doesn’t mean easy. Breastfeeding is natural, and from my many years supporting breastfeeding families, I can tell you that it’s definitely not always easy. Natural flavoring doesn’t always get into our food in the most natural of ways. Natural talent atrophies in unsupportive conditions.
When someone calls you, “a natural,” what does that even mean?
I spent my weekend in a training workshop. I willingly gave up both work and family time in order to learn and grow through ongoing personal development. I find things like this fun, and as a bonus, I’m now a Certified Passion Test Facilitator. You can ask me more about what that means later.
Over the course of this training, we were given the opportunity to offer and receive positive feedback. It was a beautiful exercise in celebration of our strengths and superpowers because we all know how easy it is to get caught up in the struggles and shortfalls. In nearly every piece of feedback I received, someone called me a “natural speaker.”
This was, of course, incredibly validating because I’ve been working very hard to develop my speaking skills in various ways–networking, coaching, podcasting and instructing karate, to name a few. So the recognition did not go unappreciated. Because of the work that I do, though, I have to coach myself and ask, am I really “a natural,” or is there something more to it than that?
I had two thoughts when my classmates called me, “a natural.” The first: they’re wrong. The second: they’re right.
I’ve gotten to a point where speaking in front of a group of people does come naturally to me. So they’re right to recognize the ease with which I’m able to take a script and perform it with little advance preparation. By calling me “a natural,” I understand that they are complimenting the fruits of many years of practice and consistency. I understand that I am only “a natural,” because of my own choices and efforts over time to build this kind of skill.
I’ve focused on performance through various seasons of my life. In high school and college, I was an actor and singer. Throughout college and into my early adult life, I was a poet and performed at literary events and open mics. As an entrepreneur and creative person, I’ve used my voice to connect with people who can help me move my business forward. As a podcaster and social media user, I’ve played with a variety of different ways to show up in public. As a martial artist and instructor, I learned that my performance isn’t really about me at all and (probably never was).
For many years, I’ve practiced and played in the realm of speaking and performing. I’ve put myself in positions that felt about as far from natural as you can get. I’ve done it so much that it doesn’t phase me anymore and ends up looking completely natural. The truth is that it wasn’t always this way. Go ahead and listen to my first few podcast episodes if you don’t believe me. (Actually, please don’t.)
Is it necessarily “wrong” to call me a natural? Well, I don’t tend to buy into absolutes like, “right,” “wrong,” “good” or “bad.” I do think it’s not quite accurate. When I look at someone else who inspires me and tell myself, they’re “a natural,” what I could be doing is giving myself an excuse. Because if they’re born with it, and I’m not, I have no hope to achieve the same level, so why even try? In this way, my language could be subtly self-sabotaging.
My oldest son started karate at age 7. He connected immediately with a couple of the instructors, and they made him feel so awesome and talented that I’m sure he believed he was “a natural” at it. And as his mom, of course, I totally agree. He easily brought home trophies from the few tournaments in which he participated. He didn’t really struggle until he reached black belt level. At that point, though, when he began competing against his fellow high-level martial artists and others who had put in more practice hours, he began to see that his natural talent could only take him so far.
When I realize that someone who looks natural performing at a certain level doesn’t mean they’ve always had that ability, it opens me up to my own potential, whether I’m born with a little bit of natural talent or not. The beautiful thing about talent is that it’s only part of the equation. We all have our God-given gifts that we are uniquely positioned to use for the benefit of the world. But even if we begin with less talent than we think someone else might have, the ability to grow is always available to us. Talent can only take you so far, so what will you do next?
Passion, focus, discipline, perseverance and consistency make the difference. Most people only choose to go as far as their “natural” abilities allow them to go. Most people will fall back to “natural” when things start feeling unnatural or uncomfortable. The people who look like “naturals,” are the ones who have practiced being unnatural more times than they can count in ways they might never share or show.
What I love to see is when people discover their natural gifts and work to cultivate them in a way that lights a fire inside, practicing and developing those natural skills to a level that surprises even themselves. The quote above says, “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” But what if you could do both? Work hard in the realm of your natural talents? You’ll be unstoppable!
Have you ever been called, “a natural”? Did you take it as a compliment or have some resistance to the label? If you’re looking for more efficient ways to level up your natural abilities and live a life of purpose, we should talk about The Passion Test.