Competency lessons for Woman’s Month taken from:

Educated by Tara Westover

Using your Abilities

How do you define having an ability? How can you measure talent?

“The most powerful determinant of who you are is inside you,” he said. 

“Professor Steinberg says this is Pygmalion. Think of the story, Tara.” He paused, his eyes fierce, his voice piercing. “She was just a cockney in a nice dress. Until she believed in herself. Then it didn’t matter what dress she wore.” Westover.

Your innate abilities lie within you. Some of these, you haven’t even discovered yet, and others have facilitated your journey to where you are right now. These aptitudes come naturally to you and are often the things which you do well without even thinking about it.

It is in these spheres that you can become the most competent because it is here that you have a natural advantage. For many women, when you ask them about their accomplishments, they answer that they did what they enjoyed doing and success followed. This is how your abilities work. You just do it, and somehow it works!

It is unlikely that one would excel if the natural ability wasn’t in place, regardless of determination and commitments. However, imagine if you consider what comes easily to you, and then you use your organic capacity to launch yourself in the direction that works best.  

Someone once told me that no one needs to wear make up to be  beautiful on the inside. So, it is with your abilities. You do not need to make them look good in any way, you just need to sharpen them through skill development, passion, and commitment!