To those who feel just average,

This letter goes out to those who sit on the bench, to those who stand hidden in the back of the crowd, to those who don’t speak up because they are unsure of their role, or how they are meant to excel.

I understand your feelings of inadequacy because I know them all too well myself. If you feel like you may actually be good at something, all you have to do is compare yourself to someone who is great to send yourself back into feeling as if you're lacking in ability. It’s not that you feel as if you have no talent; if that were true, you wouldn’t be a part of the teams, groups or organizations that you are. Rather, you simply feel that your talents are insufficient. You may be good enough to make the team, but you feel as if you can’t be good enough to have your name become known. You are able to recognize your abilities, but you aren’t able to see how they are anything extraordinary.

Allow me to explain something to you that I wish I would have understood myself a very long time ago: you are enough. You have made it this far because you are sufficient. If you do not have faith in yourself, and in who you were made to be, you will have a difficult time succeeding. Confidence is key. If you know you have a particular set of skills, please don’t compare yourself to someone better. Instead, take pride in the fact that you are you. You may not be in the starting lineup or making headlines, but you have abilities that you can use to make the world around you a better place. You are learning and growing, and you need to be proud of yourself.

To be honest, most people are going to be average. The very definition of the word average attests to this. If more than half of the people were above average, then the average would no longer be the average. There are two things that take a person from average to above-average: natural talent and hard work. If you have the desire to take your average ability to be above-average, you need to put in hard work.

Albert Einstein said, “I am not more gifted than the average human being.” What set Einstein apart from everyone else was his drive. Einstein knew when he started that he wasn’t, “anything special.” He was curious, patient and had a knack for solving problems. Einstein knew where his skill sets were, and he harnessed his abilities in order to do the best work he could do. Einstein was just an average guy until he realized that it is hard work that will distinguish him from everyone else.

Don’t get me wrong, if you feel as if you excel, that is absolutely fantastic. Celebrate that! But this letter is to those who struggle in celebrating their abilities. You deserve to be confident in your God-given skills. Don’t sell yourself short. You have made it this far. Remember, the majority of people are average. If you have the desire to become above average, you need to have the drive and put in the work.