“Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.” – Stephen King
To be successful in your given field or craft, talent is necessary. But it’s not enough. Plenty of people have talent; many have gifts and skills. But not everyone is willing to put in the work necessary to be successful.
Whether it be in sports, or business, or school, or life, having the raw skill is rarely enough. There is also a need for diligence, for grit, for the ability and willingness to keep moving forward despite the pressure to quit. Because inevitably things will get tough — there will be times when we really don’t want to do the work.
And what we do in those moments makes all the difference. Will we push on? Or will we ease up? Will we throw in the towel? Or will we keep moving forward? Because the successful are those who continue to put in the work even when they don’t feel like it. Which is what separates them from those who are simply talented.