We all know her. She's the girl who sings to herself but isn't willing to go onstage. Or the guy who is a fantastic painter but he never shows his artwork to anyone. There are thousands of people out there just like this, of above average talent but still somehow singing in a practice room or painting alone in their garage.

I call this The Talent Trap.

These are the people who are better than the rest of us but lacking in the confidence or motivation to take their passion to the next level. Many of them are perfectionists who aren't capable of showing their work to others because it's never good enough in their minds.

A certain level of criticism is needed to make anything worthwhile, but it's a shame when these incredible few won't share their artistry with the world because of a flat note or a wrong brushstroke. There is always room for improvement, but at some point, you have to be willing to accept that your work won't always match up to your standards.

Life is all about failing, getting back up, and falling again. You have to embrace the fall in order to go higher. And to deny the world your unique gift is to lose the gift itself, to lose it to the hollow feeling in your chest when you look around and realize you aren't who you're meant to be.