It Is The Brave And Not The Talented Who Succeed

March 29, 2012 35 Comments


Talent is overrated, it is the brave and not necessarily the talented who succeed.

You can waste a lot of time wondering “am I good enough?”

It’s the type of question that really isn’t worth asking, instead ask these three questions.

  • Do I truly love this thing that I want to do?
  • Will I chase this dream with all my heart without any guarantee of success?
  • Am I willing to keep going even when it is tough?

Talent is overrated… courage always finds a way.

Talent Is Overrated

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About GeoffTalbot: Geoff Talbot is the founder of this Creative Blog. He loves writing words that encourage creative people.

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  • http://chrisvonada.com chris vonada

    talents can be dangerous… our gifts are not!

    • http://sevensentences.com Geoff Talbot

      Explain? I’m interested.

  • Moira

    Very timely. My writer friend and I were just talking about this very thing and then your encouragement shows up in my in box. Thanks

    • http://sevensentences.com/ Geoff Talbot

      Thanks Moira… lets keep talking about this… Geoff

  • http://peterpaluska.com/ Peter Paluska

    Incredibly poignant!

    • http://sevensentences.com/ Geoff Talbot

      Thanks Peter… I really enjoy you stopping by as usual

  • http://twitter.com/Sophie_Novak Sophie Novak

    Yes, courage and passion mixed with determination always find a way! 

    • http://sevensentences.com/ Geoff Talbot

      Thanks for your comment Sophie… I agree that if we stay open to learning and are honest with ourselves anything is possible… agree?

  • http://www.nosuperheroes.com Chris Lautsbaugh

    Comparison kills!

    • http://sevensentences.com/ Geoff Talbot

      oh yeah many a dead dreamer on that battlefield

  • http://twitter.com/jackdrsm Jack Durish

    I don’t know if you can still get “Rhinoceros Success,” but grab a copy if you can. According to the author, success is for those who get the right education or dress for it. Success goes to those who put their head down like a rhinoceros and charge!

    • http://sevensentences.com/ Geoff Talbot

      Oh yeah I am all for the Rhinoceros approach… just as long as we are smart about it and don’t become goal blind. Agree?

  • http://www.kateemccracken.com/ Kate E. McCracken

    these three are a great alternatives to the “am i good enough?” question.  thank you!

    • http://sevensentences.com/ Geoff Talbot

      Thanks for stopping by Kate!

  • Ann

    Hard Work Beats Talent, When Talent Doesn’t Work Hard

    • http://sevensentences.com/ Geoff Talbot

      But how much of talent is hard work?

  • Eva

    Talent, Hard work, Passion, Strength, courage whatever it is If you love what you do, if you follow your heart, and willing to keep going even when you doubt yourself or it gets tuff then neither courage or talent can be overrated. Its the Journey and what you learn on the way and who you are at the end of it

    • http://sevensentences.com/ Geoff Talbot

      do it Eva… thanks for the encouragement. I love the last line about the journey!

  • http://www.RealizedRealationships.com/ Gary Loper

    Talent along with courage and a massive dose of confidence is vital for success. If you do not have confidence in yourself, then to succeed you must find a mentor or coach, who believes in you and in your dream and will keep their faith in you, until you develop within yourself

    • http://sevensentences.com/ Geoff Talbot

      I think multiple mentors and coaches right Gary? People who can guide us and give us confidence in several different areas. Business coaches, confidence coaches, faith coaches etc…. It would be nice if this happened in our local village but it doesn’t so we need coaching

  • http://twitter.com/99ermikeb 99ermikeb

    Depends on the investors of the artistic product and what they expect back in revenues. Product meaning the “artist” and production wrapped around said artist. This applies mainly in the music business but buttressing a product with investment capitol for positive returns after any given event such as “Art Shows” or “Plays” at gallerias, theaters set up worldwide, If you are an investor and want top returns, the Public Relations Manager (PRM) will have the talent billed as the “newest, greatest thing” or “happening” or “best ever” or have a “hook” or title tacked to the performance including graphics/logo that match the style. And when people hear promotions about it on TV, radio, newspapers, internet, and flyers the instant thought is “This has to be good” and they’ll pay to see the show be it good or lousy. From beginning to end, if it is a successful money-making campaign designed by an experienced PRM, believe that every step has been very carefully thought out. So Yes, almost all talent is overrated on purpose to create larger paychecks. On the flip-side, you can have incredible talent with bad PR.

    • http://sevensentences.com/ Geoff Talbot

      I think you are correct BUT most of this is changing or at least it can be different when we use the internet to build brand loyalty for artists

  • Jenni McHenry

    Talent is not overrated. I just think talent is underappreciated. Talent is overlooked because people are all too willing to accept good enough for right now and too impatient hold out for the best. How many times have you heard somebody attribute their success to being in the right place at the right time? Doesn’t mean they’re any more talented, it’s just that “good enough” walked in.

    • http://sevensentences.com/ Geoff Talbot

      You think so…? It is an interesting angle for sure, and I think in some way you are right. But maybe given time, and with love and trust good enough will turn out to be incredibly great?

      • Jenni McHenry

        Sure I agree, sometimes all it takes is giving good enough a chance which could propel them into greatness. Obviously, very few people are naturally talented like Meryl Streep. I think boldness and confidence with just the right amount of humility could help your talent shine. When you look at acts like Kiss though, they really aren’t all that great musically, but they were in the right place at the right time, among the right people and their success was/is hugely driven by their gimmick rather than their talent. So in their case talent is overrated.

        • http://sevensentences.com/ Geoff Talbot

          Yes in those cases you are definitely right… the paradox of truth… Talent is overrated and Underrated

      • http://twitter.com/CaspromVX Casprom Reikings

        Personally, I don’t need to go much far to show you wrong =
        You see, like Jenni said, it’s much about being in the right place and in the right time, sometimes, meeting the right person. Because, the love, the hard work, even the years you spend away studying, all the time you burn with your passion, it’s all taken away, when you just realize you were born in a country who won’t look for their citizens, to their culture, to the people, to their children… In my own country it’s a bit like that. That’s how our artist get this life:
        During our whole life, we’re not worth a scent. To us, it won’t be given a chance, even if the other guy is less qualified than we.
        If I want to be around, I gotta get my feet stuck on the ground, and find a 2nd job to keep my love as an hobby <.<' if I don't want it to be my "hobby", I'll have to turn my back to the place I was born, hopping to find out there a chance in the world. So many of the ones I know, left this country to find a chance. Only if I find success out there, getting again a good timing and knowing the right person, I'll be able to come back to my country and suddenly the news will pump out big titles like "Hero" the "Icon" the "Top Star", the "pride of the country", making it look ridiculous, just like anyone had ever helped me to climb up. Just like anyone had ever supported me.
        … So being an artist is pretty much like that: Being kicked out like a dog, taken down, passion sliced bit by bit, until maybe when you still have some bright, the right persons may meet your work and calls you up to fulfill a job that someone already denied…

        • http://sevensentences.com/ Geoff Talbot

          While I appreciate and understand the difficulty of struggle as an artist, it is always easy to tend towards victim and think of other peoples success as luck or simply knowing someone…

          While chance and connections invariably play a part in success, we can position ourselves bravely to take advantage of these things when opportunity presents itself

  • Donna Valentine-Jones

    Yes, there are thousands of would-be actors who never make it. Believe it takes hard work, perseverance, a realistic attitude to overcome disappointments, being at the right place at the right time, courage, and true passion in believing in ones’ self. Surely, this applies to any walk of life.

    • http://sevensentences.com/ Geoff Talbot

      Thank you for sharing… yes being able to have everything in the right perspective is a gift that we all need to grow in

  • http://twitter.com/k_genus Kumar Kanti Ganguly

    I somehow agree with Mr Jenni McHenry, talent is underappreciated. I agree with you also that bravery is more helpful than talent but what matters more is patience, I have seen even the brave people getting distracted after their talent is not well recieved, the reason for that is lack of patience. whatsay ?

    • http://sevensentences.com/ Geoff Talbot

      I agree with Kumar… it was actually the topic of todays Seven Sentences

  • http://twitter.com/k_genus Kumar Kanti Ganguly

    you say “it is the brave and not necessarily the talented who succeed.”, can you name any famous personality who is brave but not talented enough ?

    • http://sevensentences.com/ Geoff Talbot

      I can think of many talented people who were not brave, patient or wise. Actually I could think of several famous personalities who are not necessarily that talented… but the point of this blog is not to slander or give personal opinion or people :-)

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