”There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch!”
TANSTAAFL, or ”there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch” is actually an adage related to the economic field and which suggests that you can’t get something for nothing.
This saying connects for me with the idea in training that there is no such a thing as a talented person.
Though, I keep anyway hearing all the time about the concept of talent, this natural thing that someone got and which explains the why a person is so good at something. Yes, what we mean by ”talented” is that a person is really good at a thing N A T U R A L L Y.
But how is it in reality?
Ok, we may have some natural predispositions for doing or learning all kind of stuff, but nothing comes for free: it will always be the hard work we’ll put in which will get us to become what we mean by talented… which is, again, to be really good at something.
We were not born talented, we are getting it.
”Talent” is a product of hard work, determination and dedication, but also a consequence of a well through-out training content and design (which should be the coach’s responsability), and… of a constant self-analysis (our big responsabilities as practitioners)!
(working for being more flexible :))
So do not give up and if your goals are to be really good at something, work on it!
And next time you are about to tell someone that she/he is talented or gifted, think about it twice, and maybe you will tell that person ”great work!” instead!
There is no such thing as talent… Though there is hard work!
/Romain