4.0, A+, 100 percent, perfection.

I guess it’s what we’re all striving for. We want to be above average. We want to be the best. But how do you get there? I don’t have an answer by any means, but someone once told me it’s not about being smart or talented or athletic, it’s about the work you put in.

Now, I know what you’re thinking, some people are just naturals. Well, it’s true, some people are but, for the most part, we’re all just working towards a common goal. Four point oh, A+, 100 percent, perfection. Everyone gets there in a different way. Everyone has their own study habits. Everyone practices in their own way. Everyone has a different way to reach that goal. The key is figuring out your way. And once you do you’ll find that you’re seen as a natural. More often than not people weren’t simply born that way, they worked to get there.

We see the valedictorian at graduation. We see them deliver the speech. We saw them receive good grades over the years. We probably assumed they were naturally smart. But there’s a lot we didn’t see. We didn’t see the hours they stayed after school to get a full understanding of calculus. We didn’t see the late night study sessions leading up to that one exam. We didn’t see everything they put into those four years to reach their goal. We only saw the end result.

We see the actor or actress in the big show. We see them perform in front of the crowd. We see them receive the standing ovation that they rightfully deserve. We probably said they had a natural gift. But there’s a lot we didn’t see. We didn’t see the endless rehearsals leading up to opening night. We didn’t see the vocal exercises and acting classes and the nerves before the audition. We didn’t see the hours put into memorizing lines. We didn’t see all the work they put into getting the part they wanted. We only saw the perfectly sculpted performance.

Photo taken by Nicki Barrett

We see the artist at the gallery. We see the perfect images drawn onto a canvas. We see all the different aspects coming together. We see the seemingly effortless final product. We probably called it a natural talent. But there’s a lot we didn’t see. We didn’t see the rough sketches. We didn’t see the little measurements made to make sure everything was in the right place. We don’t see the time put in just to do the outline. We didn’t see the concentration required to reach the point when they could finally say it was “complete”. We only saw the finished product.

By Danielle DiNoia

We see the star athlete in the big game. We see the goal they score, the race they win, the awards they receive. We see the skills they have. We see the abilities they have. We see their endurance and their athleticism. We probably say they’re a natural. But there’s a lot we don’t see. We don’t see the workouts they do. We don’t see the hours they spend at practice. We don’t see all the mistakes they make before they finally get it right. We don’t see the hours spent in the weight room, in the training room, watching film, or learning plays. We only see the game day performance.

I’m not saying there’s no such thing as natural talent. There’s no denying that some people were born to sing, or draw, or play sports or do extremely well in school. All I’m saying is, it’s not all natural. There’s a lot we don’t see. Perfection isn’t natural. Success isn’t natural. It’s not about being smart, talented or athletic. It’s about the work that goes into it. Go behind the scenes and you’ll find there’s a lot that goes into being a natural beyond what we’re born with.

So, yeah, hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard.