Finding out what you're good at

I'm the youngest sibling in my family, and that meant two things.

1) I could learn from & imitate my older siblings

2) I was the WWE move test dummy for my older siblings

For the sake of this post and avoiding bad flashbacks, I'll focus on the first point.*

Growing up, my oldest brother influenced us to do some cool things, but a big one was playing fighting games. Street Fighter, Marvel vs. Capcom, Soul Calibur and Tekken were some of the games we'd spend weekends playing.

I won't lie to y'all - I would get cooked. I had to underline that one for emphasis!

I'd have to train harder when they weren't around just to keep up. But I noticed something changed when we got a new game.

It was called Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo: HD Remix (yes the name is mad long).

It was like a fighting game, but you "fought" by matching puzzle pieces together. For the first time I could remember, I wasn't getting completely worked by my bros.

I realized I was naturally good at something.

It was a small realization, but I think there's a big takeaway in it.

We often focus on what we think we're not good at. We dwell on how much better others seem than us. How much harder we have to work to just be "average". And while I think things like competition and motivation are good in moderation, they're only one kick in the combo.

In the big scheme of who we are, we have many talents waiting to be found. There are probably some you already realize you have.

That's why I think as we recognize the areas we can improve, we should remember the areas we excel in just as much.

If you learn to improve your shortcomings as you work on your talents, I think the sky is the limit for you!

(We can also talk about embracing who you're not to stand more confidently in who you are - but that's another discussion)

If you think this'll resonate with someone, let 'em know

|| Kwasi Adu-Poku

P.s., the Walls of Jericho was the worst move by far holy smokes

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