RESILIENCE VS. TALENT

by Nadah Fathima

People love to talk about talent as if it’s a magic trick. Someone picks up an instrument, dances a choreography, or sketches a portrait, and everyone gasps at how “naturally gifted” they are. Talent is sparkly and convenient. It makes learning look effortless. But real skill? That comes from resilience, not magic.

Growing up, I was one of those kids who was signed up for almost everything. Music, dance, art, and instruments. You name it, I probably owned the registration form. I coasted through all of it with the attention span of someone who thought the point of extracurriculars was just to have a good time. And I did have fun. Well, that was the objective. Improvement wasn’t on my radar. I was there to vibe, not to grind.

Looking back, it’s obvious why nothing stuck.

Kids aren’t naturally patient. They’re curious, playful, and easily distracted. Learning a skill demands focus, repetition, and the willingness to be bad at something before you’re good. None of that comes built-in.

10 years later, however, I picked up my guitar again. I’ve always seen the guitar as a cool instrument to play. This time, I didn’t quit after the first sore fingertip or awkward strumming pattern. I actually stayed long enough for muscle memory to form. And that experience made something clear - I hadn’t lacked talent when I was younger. I’d lacked resilience.

That’s the part people don’t talk about enough.

Resilience is the steady force that carries you through the gritty parts of learning. It’s what keeps you showing up even when your progress crawls. It teaches you to tolerate frustration instead of escaping it. Over time, that persistence turns into skill.

Talent might give someone an early start, but it drops fast without effort. Meanwhile, someone with average initial ability but strong resilience can outgrow their “naturally gifted” peers because they keep moving long after the novelty fades.

This doesn’t mean talent is irrelevant. It just means it’s not the deciding factor. Talent is the spark. Resilience is the fuel. Skill grows where patience lives. And sometimes it takes years to build the mindset you needed all along. But once you find it, everything you try starts to feel a little more possible.

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Nadah Fathima