I am not good at everything. Nobody is. But I do know where my talents lie.
With enough effort, I could probably get by in many professions. But effort alone is not enough. There needs to be interest, even obsession. That is the fuel that makes talent grow.
Becoming a lawyer or a doctor, for example, requires a certain personality type. It looks glamorous on television, but the reality is far more demanding. I do not have what it takes to succeed in those paths. And that is fine, because there are people much smarter and better suited than me. That is why there are so many different professions in the world.
I have always been honest with myself about the things I am not good at. Basic life skills that come easily to others have never come easily to me. Sometimes I joke that I missed that class at school or that it simply was not in my DNA. It has cost me in different ways, but it has also made me lean harder into the things I can do well. In those areas, I thrive.
The truth is, talent without opportunity is wasted. I often wonder about the paths I might have taken if the right doors had opened, or if I had recognised them sooner.
Take video and film. I love everything about it: movies, series, YouTube, motion graphics, storytelling. I dabbled here and there, but I never truly had the opportunity. Growing up in South Africa, creativity did not feel like a serious path. The closest I came was working in a video store, watching everything on the shelves and becoming a movie buff. But I never broke films apart the way I once did in high school, analysing frame by frame.
Looking back, I see the moment I missed. In the 90s, I could have worked with a brilliant videographer, but I never asked for the job. I did not take the initiative. That chance slipped past.
Instead, I built websites in Flash, which led me into the career I have today. I have no regrets. But I do sometimes imagine the life I might have lived as a director, or in animation, or industrial design, or architecture. I believe I could have excelled in any of these fields. Not because I think I am naturally gifted in all of them, but because I know the way I throw myself into what captures my attention.
That is the point. We are all equipped with a range of potential talents. What we become is shaped as much by the opportunities we encounter as by the abilities we hold.
So my encouragement is simple: explore widely, experiment boldly, and do not limit yourself to one path. If something sparks your interest, dig deeper. See where it goes. If it does not, leave it behind.
There is no single route to happiness or success. Your career can be shaped in more ways than you might imagine.