“It’s your road and yours alone, others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you.” — Rumi

“Wooooohooo!” screamed the 8-year-old. “I’m king!” He was laughing so hard, an ear-to-ear grin plastered on his face. The lego he built is standing proudly on the floor. For all eyes to see. In the middle of his enjoyment, someone accidentally touches the structure he built for hours and it crumpled. All of us in the room were anxious. We were afraid he would sob. But he didn’t. He sat down on the floor and started building it again.

That kid put me to shame. I have not fought for my writing as the kid fought for his legos. I love writing. I love this art as I loved playing in the rain when I was a little girl. But I left it in the dust for most of my life making it a backup. The fallback. The second choice.

I forgot that it is my responsibility to develop my potential to become good at anything.

Last year was a pivotal year in my life. I decided I had enough of putting my art on the shelf collecting dust. I decided I wanted to create and run my own blog. And blogging was the art of the future right?

But before I even started, I got stuck. I could not write a full page without running out of ideas. My writing was terrible. I didn’t have the skills of other writers I admired. And the small article I wrote read like a teenager bored assignment. When compared to the gorgeous works of other bloggers I followed, mine was a disaster.

In short, I stank at blogging.

Or worse, I was so afraid of stinking …. that I didn’t even write a single article for weeks.

But you know what saved me?

Making mistakes and stinking at something is the price to pay to become good.

Everybody who is good at anything started by sucking at it. Every single popular Medium writer will cringe when forced to read their very first articles. I guarantee it.

Yes, some people will improve way faster than others. These people have natural talent. And others will start at a slightly higher level than their peers. But all of them — when they started were horrible at their thing.

You need to pass through this phase to get better.

Be humble enough to stay open to everything you need to learn and curious enough to want to learn it.

Having a degree does not mean that you stop learning. You have to be hungry for more. Even though I could have stayed in a job where I could get a stable income, I looked for what I can uniquely offer the world.

Every one of us has the potential to offer something unique to the world. You just have to look for it. And develop the skill for it.

5 years ago, I stood in front of people to give training on effective communication. I felt the sun even though I was inside a building. Joy rose up from deep inside me.

I loved being on the platform.

Sometimes you see what you could be even though you have not yet developed the skill for it. Sometimes your gut tells you, you have to see this thing through. Even when challenges come your way. When you are not comfortable leaving your old job. Even when others tell you, you are crazy for leaving a job that you had experience.

But you have to follow your gut.

Ask yourself what you have the potential to offer that is so unique and compelling and helpful.

I am a writer who has developed her skill by articulating her thoughts on her notepad. I am a trainer who trains others on personal development.

I made these arts mine through persistence. If you saw me speaking for the first time, you would run away from my class like a bat out of hell. I was that terrible. My voice shook with terror. Even though I did not tell anyone, I prayed the earth would open and swallow me up.

I was terrified but I was also excited. I wanted to be there in front of people so much that I practiced day in and day out to improve my skills as a public speaker.

I wanted to become so good that no one would steal my services. So, I developed my potential.

I abandoned other things (I stopped looking for other jobs) and chose public speaking. And I devoted myself to become a master of it.

You may enjoy doing something very much. But without putting time and energy into that thing, you will not become master of it.

Your art will not become art on its own. It needs your input. It needs you to develop it.

It is your responsibility to develop it the best that you can.

To your inspiration,

Banchi