The Lord has blessed everyone  with  various talents and skills. Some seem to have extra-ordinary gifts while others  may appear  to be  simply “average”.

 

The difference with the “talented”  and the “master of none” is that the former spends time to  discover and cultivate his/her God-given talents, while the latter is contented in admiring the giftedness of others. The fact is, most people failed to discover and develop their gifts.

 

Developing our gifts requires a lot of self-discipline and determination. Commitment  is what we need so we can be what we want to be in life. John Mason, in his book, A Man Called Average, said that if we want to be good at something, we should be committed to spend one hour a day for it. He has a proposition which he calls          the 1 x 6 = 6 Principle. It rests on the assumption that anything we want to be – as the Lord wills – will be a reality if we will put our heart and mind into it. It is simply giving one hour a day in six days for any skill, education, or project that we want to develop in ourselves.

 

We can play a musical instrument or be good painter by applying the 1 x 6 = 6 principle. If we want to improve our voice, the 1 x 6 = 6 principle will work just the same – and help us sing like a pro. A young mother can improve her cooking skills or  be good in making crafts by heeding this principle.

 

The young ones who have seen the value of cultivating their talents will benefit the most because as they grow older, the better they will become. But older folks can still achieve things higher than themselves.  It is not too late to start giving just one hour a day to acquire a new skill. According to Mason, the 6 x 1 = 6 Principle has been working for all successful people in the world. If it worked for others, it will work for us too. We can substitute an hour of watching entertainment program with an hour of learning something new. We can ask a friend to teach us, or we can enroll in a nearby school that offers short courses. We can also learn on our own.

 

Time spent in improving ourselves promises a more enduring source of happiness. And  much more if our motivation is to be more fruitful in serving the Lord. A year from now, we can be a changed person.