Do you think that to have talent is all it takes to have a successful career?
Think again.
The world is full of talented people who were never successful in a career that half of their talent could have led them to.
If you’re like me you may know some of those people yourself.
My uncle (my mother’s brother) was a painter, a musician and a wood craft artist, yet he spent his life as a mailman. Yes, he made OK money with good benefits, he even had 3 houses, but did his job made him fulfilled and happy like his talents and passions would have?
Absolutely not!
My mother was borderline genius and a cloth designer, yet she worked for a boss all her 47 years on the work force. Yes, she has design and sewn a lot, but not what she wanted and not for her own pocket. As for as her extreme wide knowledge, it never really served but for her two lucky kids who were thankful to have such a knowledgeable and smart mom.
No. Talent alone, won’t bring you a successful career. I have two of my closest family members to remind me this truth forever in my life. I was still a child and I’d looked at those two and thought, wow, what a waste of talents. What a waste, indeed.
I tried to encourage my mom to open her own tailoring business, several times, but to no avail. When I first moved to New York I tried to arrange an art gallery exposition for my Uncle’s paintings, but of course, he said no.
Again, talent alone will never lead you to a successful career.
This is why…
What’s Preventing People to Have a Successful Career?
1- Fear
The number one reason why people may never build a successful career, no matter how much talent they may have, is fear.
Every time I’d ask my mother why she wouldn’t use her tailoring talent to start her own business and make millions already, she came up with a ton of reasons why starting your own business is tough and risky. At the time I was too young and not knowledgeable enough to recognize it, of course, but thinking back I can clearly see that there was fear written all over it!
Yes, fear of failure is still a big problem even for people who have a tremendous talent that they could live on.
This is due to the fact that, unless you had extremely smart parents and teachers, one of the first things you’d learn from them is to have fear.
And once fear is there, no talent in the world can remove it. Only a good therapist or a coach could help you with that, which my mother, uncle and other few millions people all over the world didn’t have.
2- Lack of passion
Even if you have the talent, you may not have the passion necessary to make sure that that your talent will bring you success.
That happened to me back in my acting day. I loved being on a stage. I really, really did, but when I happened to think back, I realized that I wasn’t passionate enough. Therefore, when I got tired of fighting for it, I quite. Only passion would have kept me on track.
When you have a talent and tried to make a career of that talent, it’s that passion that will keep you going. If it’s not there, you won’t hold it forever. When it starts to become too difficult, you just give up.
Unfortunately, it’s a known fact that in the course of a person’s life, true passions tend to reveal themselves only later in life, which means that many people in their twenties (like I was) have not yet developed enough passion for what they want to do.
3- No Guts
I know this one kinds of falls in the same category as fear, but there is a major difference, though, that set it apart. Someone who has the guts to do something doesn’t mean they don’t have fear.
Having the guts to do something, it’s doing it even though you’re scared to do it.
When I decided to leave Paris, France to move the New York in a country I didn’t know, and leaving all my family behind, I was scared. That’s why when I was given the choice of leaving on January 10th or January 17th I picked the latter date. It was my fear that was asking for the delay, but it’s my guts that put me on that plane on January 17th band to New York. I knew I could do it, so I did.
I know that in the back of my mine I didn’t want to do what my mom and uncle did. I wanted to go for it. As an acting student I had the opportunity to work in New York, so I said, I will.
I’ll move to that darn foreign country with the foreign language, and try to do what I had set my mind to do. And I did. For two years, anyway. Then it’s that lack of passion that took me out.
3 Things you Need to Know to Create a Successful Career
1– Don’t let fear get in the way of your successful career. If you know that’s fear that is holding you back, seek professional help to get rid of that fear. Yes, you CAN.
2– Learn how to figure out what your passion or passions are early in life. Don’t wait until your 35 years old. Finding out what you want to do should actually happen in your twenties (according to experts) in order to have a fully successful career. Do you know that a coach can help you find your passion?
3– Learn to go beyond your fears by having the guts to take the plunge. As they say, if it doesn’t kill you, it will make you stronger. That is so very true! From whom can you learn to get the guts to make a big plunge? Well, what about learning it from a coach who had made a big plunge herself? Yes, that’s right!
So, there you have it my friends.
In order to have a successful career you need to be fearless, passionate and have the guts to take a leap of faith.
These are the 3 best ingredients you will ever have to make a perfect recipe for a successful career.
Listen to what Larry Smith has to say about having a successful career!
Photo Credits: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Hi Sylviane
Very interesting video.
It is a shame how life gets in the way of things we started out to do. I sometimes wonder if I would have gone the route I was on when I came to the US if I had made smarter choices when I got here.
If we have to fulfill some purpose while we are here and if you take a different road than one you first started on, does it just take so much longer to get to where you are supposed to be, just a thought.
Purpose. I can see how that can get mixed up with all the other things we think we are supposed to do or actually need to do. Not being single, one doesn’t always have a full range of doing for me only. Things are not always just black and white.
Possibly if when I was a teenager and someone had said follow your passion and explained what that was, maybe I could have seen clearly what I needed to do.
Finding your passion doesn’t always pay the bills and most likely don’t and that is why so many get buried in the heap of forgotten dreams.
I am working towards something I feel will be a purpose and probably end up being a passion. But I believe you can have more than one purpose and more than one passion. Maybe too many years have gone under the bridge for me to see it as simple.
Mary
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Hi Mary,
Now, first thing, I didn’t realized that you were not form the US. OK, sorry about that, but where are you from :)?
I understand what you mean, it’s not always black and white, if it were our life would be easier wouldn’t it? However, I do believe that we are meant to live our passion or passions, because there it isn’t really living in true sense without it. The people that I know that I can say really LIVE are those who are living their passion, otherwise we are just kind of in for the ride, and personally I want more than that.
Thanks for your visit.
Sylviane Nuccio invites you to read..Tribute To Journalist Author And Speaker Judy Martin
I am from Canada and have lived in the US since I was 18. Still Canadian citizen though.
Mary Stephenson invites you to read..Apple Cider Vinegar: Book Review
Oh, now that you’re saying it, I think I knew that. Seems that my subconscious knows it but consciously I had forgotten 🙂 Me too, I’m still a French citizen, but I’m also an American citizen too. Always travel with 2 passports 🙂
Thanks for telling me.
Sylviane Nuccio invites you to read..What’s Preventing You To Have A Successful Career?
Good day Sylviane,
Wonderful article! You’ve nailed this one right between the eyes! Fear keeps people from doing everything worthwhile in their lives. In the Mastery of Love by Don Miguel Ruiz, he devotes an entire chapter to the Track of Fear, the Track of Love. It’s an excellent book for understanding human behavior. I began reading a library copy and purchased the book part way into it.
With respect to passion, I have long advocated that when you know your WHY, you know your WAY. The degree to which life is meaningful is the degree by which one pursues their passions.
Have an excellent day!
Bill
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Hi Bill,
Always appreciate your wisdom. I love that quote of yours “The degree to which life is meaningful is the degree by which one pursues their passions.” so very true!
I haven’t read that book, but now you make me want to read it. I’m always, always observing people’s behaviors. I’ve just noticed a blogger’s behavior this morning, for example. So much to learn from people’s behaviors and their true motive.
Thanks so much for your insight. Very valuable.
Sylviane Nuccio invites you to read..Tribute To Journalist Author And Speaker Judy Martin
Hey Sylviane,
You’re so right about this, there are so many things that hold each of us back. I have something holding me back this very minute and I’m not exactly sure what it is. I’m not fearful of having success, I actually crave it to be honest with you. Obviously I don’t have the guts to go for it or I would have so maybe that’s what it is.
Passion is a different one for me because what I’m passionate about is helping people so whatever avenue I can take to accomplish that then I’m game. For now it happens to be blogging so although I’m not passionate about it, I’m excited. I love blogging and I love helping people learn how to do better but it’s not my passion. Does that even make any sense at all?
I’ve been contemplating this for awhile now and trying to figure out what the hell is holding me back. I have a feeling you can help me dig deeper! 😉
~Adrienne
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That’s perfect Adrienne, because we are going to check this one out and as you know this exercise will be good for you and me both.
I myself still carry a huge load, and it’s with me all the time and for the most part, I’ve build strong muscles and I carry it pretty much OK, but at times it slips and hurt. For instance today, I’ve been down all day, and I hate that 🙂 that’s why that coaching training is so welcome for me now.
I understand about not having a specific passion, but as you said, your passion is helping people, so that alone can open many doors.
Thank you for coming.
Sylviane Nuccio invites you to read..What’s Preventing You To Have A Successful Career?
Hi Sylviane,
It’s funny…I JUST had a conversation with someone about a similar topic.
I was discussing the education system and how I feel that it inhibits our ability to really get to know ourselves and instead, forces a bunch of other things on us.
The person I was speaking with immediately defended the system expressing how learning ‘grows our brains’.
So I mentioned that growing our brains in an effort to learn things we don’t care anything about only gets in the way of true creativity and doesn’t allow us to find what we would prefer to do on our own.
She must have felt truth in what I was saying because she then admitted that she spent most of her life having never gotten to know herself or find out what she wanted to do because she followed the path her mother wanted her to follow.
The story about your mom reminded me of this because we’re so programmed to do what others want us to do when we’re young that often we don’t get to find out what WE love until much later – if we’re lucky.
It may not be the case for everyone – but it is for a lot of us.
Fear is a HUGE deterrent…and I know this as well.
I got to work through it a bit when I left a career I hated and took a part time job doing something new with no experience and no evidence that anything would work out.
The whole thing led me to making a childhood dream come true – which was to write a book.
So you’ve hit the nail on the head with this topic – and it’s something many of us could benefit from taking a closer look at.
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Hi Dana,
I guess a lot of people still don’t see what school can do to children at times. Yes, there some benefits of course, but at times between bad teachers and evil peers it can also destroy you. I know that, because it’s what happened to me. In my case that system was really crooked and nobody could make it straight for me.
Once we over come fear, we can overcome anything. So, glad you did 🙂
Thank you for your input.
Sylviane Nuccio invites you to read..What’s Preventing You To Have A Successful Career?
What a great info Sylviane.
Sometimes i have to much fear to try something that could make a million with it. Fear brings people to unsuccessful career. We have to put it back.
The 3 best ingredients for a successful career that you explain is really great, have to know for all people in this world
Thanks for your info, it’s really helpfull
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Hi Susah, and welcome here.
I’m glad that you could relate to the post and I hope it will help you.
Sylviane Nuccio invites you to read..What’s Preventing You To Have A Successful Career?
HI Sylviane,
Lovely post, with a lovely video as well 🙂
You’re right in all that you’ve written – talent doesn’t make you successful, and unless you work on yourself, you can never really achieve anything.
Fighting your fears IS essential as then alone can you move ahead and take steps, which might be out of your comfort zone, but they make things happen. Yes, knowing your passion early in life is important, but that seldom happens unless you’re really focused on the direction you want to take your life towards. Guts of course are needed, and I marvel at yours to completely shift over to a new country – bag and baggage to restart a new life altogether – must’ve been pretty tough to start from scratch, but when you are determined, you can do anything, isn’t it?
Thanks for sharing. Have a nice week, whatever little is left of it. Happy Valentine’s Day as well 🙂
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Hi Harleena,
Not much to add here as you said it all.
I’m glad you enjoyed the post and thank you for coming.
Sylviane,
“Someone who has the guts to do something doesn’t mean they don’t have fear.”
This one line from the article really struck a cord with me, I wish I could say more but now my mind is swirling! I’ve got a lot of things to think about, but I may be jumping into a big scary decision soon!
Thanks for the amazing insight!
Zach
Hi Zach,
I’m glad this post help you reflect on this point. That’s right, having the guts to do something doesn’t mean that you’re not scared. If you weren’t scared, then you wouldn’t even need to have the guts, right?
Thanks for coming by and for your input.
I must say Sylviane, you have lead such an interesting life! You have Guts, that’s why I like you so much!
It does take the guts to have an idea or passion and act upon it.
What I like the best about this post is when you mentioned that if fear is in your way, get professional help! So true because I’ve done it myself and it works! That takes a bit of guts to do for some people. But I cannot live a life with fear blocking me. If I can’t do it myself, I do seek help!
Once again, a very powerful post my friend,
-Donna
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Hi Donna,
Thank you so much for your kind words. You made my day. I really like you too, and your face comes up in my thoughts often, so that’s a good sign 🙂
Yes, I think that if one suffers from fear or any other emotional issues it’s a good thing to seek help. I’m not saying this, just to promote myself, because if I had got professional help back in the days when I so needed it, it would have saved me from years of emotional turmoil.
When you are bullied you develop all kind of issues, and back then my mother never even thought about taking me to a therapist, but really, I needed it.
I reached out for help years, and years later on my own, but not before having attracted two bad husbands and other crappy things in my life. So, yes, seeking professional help is a MUST.
Thank you for pointing this out!
I SO love this post!
Over the past year, fear has been such a big presence for me. It kept me from starting earlier. But, a funny thing happened this year — During a rafting trip, I had a near drowning accident. When I was finally rescued I had to make a choice: take the bus back to the starting point or continue the trip in a raft. I was so terrified, but I made the decision to get back into the raft anyway. That has totally changed my perspective as I build my business. I need to feel the fear and do it anyway!!
Thank you so much for the reminder and the inspiration to continue to give your talents to the world!
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Hi Jennifer and thank you so much for coming.
I totally know what you mean, by feeling the fear and do it anyway. When I’ve done this in my life, I’ve always felt great, so I totally understand where you’re coming from.
I’m so glad you overcame you fear and chose the tougher choice. It’s always easy to make the easier choice, isn’t it? But we really grow when we go THROUGH the pain, not by trying to by pass it.
Thanks for your input.
Hi Sylviane,
Great success tips with a phemonal TED Talk. I watched the whole video and enjoyed it thoroughly. Thank you for sharing this.
Having guts, having passion and then the discipline to do what must be done consistently, is absolutely important to lead a life of significance. Like Bill said, you have nailed it.
Have a great weekend!
Regards,
Kumar
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Hi Kumar,
I’m glad you enjoyed this post and watched that whole video. I really liked it myself too, because the guy doesn’t eat his words, he tells it like it is and with great humor on top of that 🙂
Thanks for coming and have a great week ahead!
Hi Sylviane
I love this topic as you know.
The world is full of people with unused potential. I agree with everything you have said. I will add though to FEAR – the fear of success. That is a big one. Also many people do not want to stand out they want to play small and safe.
I have not watched the video but will watch is later as I love this topic.
No guts for sure is a big one. Not everyone has that or the drive.
Great post Sylviane.
Sue
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Hi Sue,
Yes, fear of success is a big one, but I didn’t mentioned it here, because it wasn’t exactly what was the focus here as it’s more the fear of failure in this case.
Yes, this world is full of people who have never used their potential and that’s a shame. I’m so glad that nowadays there’s an awakening that is growing more and more, though.
Thank you for coming and have a great week ahead!
Few years back i had a very bad habit or you can say negative point about me is that i always used to take things in a negative way, i always had fear in mind of failure. But, with time i managed to reduce my fear and now what i want to do i just do it with having any fear in mind. Anyways very nice article for everyone.
Thanks
Nidhi
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Hi Nidhi, and welcome here.
I’m glad you’ve grown away from your fears and made a lot of progress.
Thank you for coming and leaving your insights.
Sylviane Nuccio invites you to read..Bringing My Coaching Business To The Next Level
There can be many factors over different times of life. First can be the fact of not equal start in life or location you are born. Though these are just silly excuses, everybody can be successful, if really desire to achieve something.
This is very enlightening Sylviane. There are indeed a lot of factors that contribute to our failures and it is really up to us to rather let our strengths rule over our weaknesses.