Thursday, April 12, 2012

k is for knack

Some people seem to possess a special KNACK or effortless ability that the rest of us would trade our first born to acquire. You know who they are. It might be a neighbor with a proverbial green thumb whose backyard puts the Garden of Eden to shame.



Or the soloist in the choir with the angelic voice who never took a single voice lesson. Or your mother who could roll out a pie crust flawlessly--an accomplishment that, for most mortal beings, requires divine intervention.

http://www.wamego.mykansaslibrary.org/

Some people have a KNACK for cooking...some for fashion...some for sports.

And some seem to have a special KNACK for writing. They write prolifically. They publish again and again, one book after the other. They enjoy the success the rest of us long for but may never achieve. Somehow it just doesn't seem fair.


I like to think of a KNACK as a God-given gift...and anyone who possesses a special KNACK as just plain lucky. But I know better.

I know that the reason my neighbor's flower bed looks so good is because he cultivates it. He feeds, waters, and weeds it. The fine cook tweaks the recipe over and over until she is proud to serve the dish. And the successful writer, or artist, or musician works long and hard to tell the story, or finish the painting, or perform the piece...



...because this is what brings them joy. It's the enthusiasm, the passion, and the love they have for their work that keeps them going. To the rest of us their success may appear to have been accomplished effortlessly, the result of some special KNACK...but what we eventually see and hear and taste is simply the end result of plain old hard work by someone who enjoys doing it...whether they have a KNACK for it or not.

Do you have a special KNACK for something? How hard are you willing to work for the thing that brings you joy?
*
"When you engage in a work that taps your talent and fuels your passion
--that rises out of a great need in the world that you feel drawn by conscience to meet
--therein lies your voice, your calling, your soul's code.
--Stephen Covey--
*
In my next post, we'll loosen the proverbial LEASH.
jan

4 comments:

  1. Beautiful post, Jan!!! My knack is making people feel loved and valued...and I'm kinda funny too! ;) I devote my life to my knack and seek to refine it everyday by paying attention to how people communicate--I love it!

    Thank you for a FABULOUS post!!

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  2. I would like to think I have a knack for helping difficult students but maybe I'm just trying to feel good about my job.
    Love the word, knack.

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  3. Lisa--I can tell you have that knack from reading your blog...especially your sense of humor.

    Susan--You don't give yourself enough credit!

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