FROM UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI EXTENSION
SOUTHWEST REGIONAL NEWS SERVICE
Contact: Bob McNary, 4-H youth development specialist
Headquartered in Jasper County
Tel: (417) 358-2158
E-mail: mcnaryrl@missouri.edu

First person column …
Achieve Great Things by Following Your Talents, Working Hard, Being Patient and Having a Little Luck

A successful team is made up of members who are well suited to the tasks they undertake, and who are prepared for the responsibilities they accept.  Successful members follow their talents, work hard to sharpen their skills, and patiently practice to achieve well.

To be successful you must first, follow your talents. 

There has never been a time when it's been easier, or more important, to do what you love and what you are designed to do. 

Most of us no longer have to do work we are not suited for. Some people are born with incredible talent for their chosen field of labor, while others earn their way with extraordinary dedication and hard work.

 Some should consider doing something else, instead of doing something that they are not suited for.  Some folks are caught in a job or career that they felt was thrust upon then and that they are not suited for.

They should get out of that and follow their talents! What are you passionate about? Do that.

Secondly, do it very well! Great achievers work incredibly hard.  If the first rule for greatness is "follow your talents,” then the second is, "become incredibly skilled.”

There is no substitute for skill. In any profession, and in almost any situation, the top 20 percent will do well. If you know what you're doing, if  you show up, if you get the job done, sooner or later you'll win.

If you don't love what you do enough to practice and develop your skills, ask yourself, "what's wrong?"

The third component is a little bit of luck.

Luck is sometimes defined as being at the right place at the right time. But by definition, you can't count on luck to make up for lack of talent or lack of preparation.

One of my heroes, Harry Truman said, “I find the harder I work, the more lucky that I am.”  Success comes from practicing and going about your business the best way you know how and the patience to position yourself to be in that right place at that right time.

To achieve remarkable things, follow your talents and passions, work extremely hard at something you love, be patient, and persevere. Lady luck shines most on those who work the hardest at what they do best!
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Robert McNary can be reached in the Jasper County Extension Center at (417) 358-2158. A former agriculture teacher at Jasper R-5 School District, McNary has been with Extension for three years. He received a master's in education (1985) and a bachelor's in agriculture (1981) from the University of Missouri. In his position as a youth development specialist he provides leadership for 4-H youth programs in Barton, Jasper, Newton and McDonald counties.