Hydrogen and oxygen are distinctly different elements,but sometimes they combine to form water. Something similaris true for motivation and talent.
Motivation is what we LIKE to do naturally. Talent is whatwe DO well naturally. They can exist independently, but whenthey combine, they create something special. They createmotivated talents.
People often are naturally good at something (talented), but itjust doesn’t turn them on. For example, Heather is good withnumbers, but she doesn’t go out of her way to find tasks callingfor that talent. Most people have such talents. But then thereare those talents that we really enjoy using. These are themotivated talents, and this is where the spark is.
We use motivated talents every chance we get. Most of the timewe don’t even think about it. For example, Larry has a motivatedtalent for conversation, and he naturally engages both friends andstrangers in dialog. He doesn’t consciously determine to do so;it just happens. It’s natural and unforced. He enjoys it, andhe’s good at it. That’s the hallmark of a motivated talent.
Motivated talents tend to be irrepressible. They find expression.In fact, if you’ve ever tried to stifle a motivated talent (eitheryours or someone else’s) it probably felt like you were tryingto hold two dozen ping pong balls under water at the same time.Motivated talents pop out, even if no one else is asking for them.And doesn’t that make sense? After all, it’s what we do well AND enjoy.
