How often have you been told how great you are and that you can achieve anything you put your mind to when you’re academic or professional career have you down? When we aren’t doing great, when we are feeling low, especially when it comes to our skillset, this is the first thing we are told that we should not give up—and given examples of geniuses who achieved extraordinary success after failing at the ordinary.
These examples tell us that we will one day excel at everything and do the opposite. It makes us feel as though we aren’t even average.
That happens because not everyone is good at everything, and not everyone is a genius. It might be a better idea to tell your friends, family, or colleagues the truth. Tell them to look at the scenario objectively. And you need to be honest with the situation and your loved one. Ask yourself, are them failing a one-off thing? Was this a learning opportunity for them, or is this an area you feel they cannot thrive in?
One should not feel guilty for letting their mind explore in that direction. As the support system, your job is to help them, not coddle them into a false sense of security and ruin their careers and lives. You might save someone years of headaches, hard work, frustration, and hurt feelings because of rejection and financial loss. I have seen many individuals who resent their family and friends for not telling them sooner or right away that the path they chose was not for them. Instead of having an open conversation with them, they kept encouraging them to keep putting their time and money into their academic and/or professional careers until they realized on their own or someone finally said something.
No one person can be good at everything. It’s okay to stop and find the thing that works for you. One can keep trying multiple crafts and skills as hobbies, but careers should be chosen wisely.
This is not to say that you shouldn’t enjoy what you do. Always pick something you love as a long-time profession. You will usually be good at it because you enjoy the work. Circumstances, however, can be different for many reasons. In that case, know that it doesn’t mean you don’t have skills. It just means you have yet to find your skills. And sorry to disappoint, but none of us can achieve anything and everything we want.
However much I put my mind and heart into it, I know I cannot become a fighter jet pilot. I do recognize for sure, though, that I’m good at what I do. I also know that I’m getting better every day because I’m working hard.
To Whom It May Concern 