You may think that success is only available to naturally gifted people or people who are born with special gifts. Some people are naturally talented in particular fields. It may be sports, academics, and art. What if you are not one of them? Will you give up?

Many people say that the reason behind successful people is that they are gifted and talented. This may be true. But, for the most part, it's the result of hard work.

“Hard Work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard. ” 

There’s a famous inspirational quote that sums up the idea of “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” The quote is attributed to Tim Notke, a high school varsity basketball coach. It was made popular by the links of NBA player Kevin Durant and NFL player Tim Tebow. The basic idea of this motivational quote is that if you don't work hard along with your natural talents, you’ll lose to people with less talent but a much better work ethic. Talent fails when work ethic is non-existent, but you can appear to have talent after you put in a lot of hard work.

Let's say you have two people competing in a race. One person has come from a long line of successful, fast runners and has always excelled in sports and running throughout their life, they're natural and have great fast-twitch leg muscles. But, he never practises or puts in his effort. Then look at another person, who does not come from a line of winners, but instead has worked hard from the start, always struggling but never giving up. Due to the lack of hard work, the first person may lose the race and the second person may win the race. 

Even if you are not naturally skilled, you can still achieve your goal through hard work. You can create your own talent by working hard. Sometimes, by working hard people can develop talent and what seems to be a gift is in fact just the result of working really hard for a long time. Many famous people are famous not because they’ve hit ‘overnight success’ but because behind the scenes, they’ve been working really hard. 

Hard Work or Talent?
So, a few students from Everest English School were interviewed regarding their opinions about hard work and talent. They were asked:

Which do you think is more crucial for your achievement: natural talent or hard work?

Mausam Thapaliya, a high-achieving student in grade X at "Great Wall," states that he possesses natural intelligence. However, he believes that his academic success stems from a combination of innate talent and diligent effort. While he recognizes his inherent abilities, he emphasises the significance of working smart and maintaining consistent hard work. He understands that relying solely on talent is insufficient; one must also exhibit a strong work ethic, curiosity, and a deep understanding of the subject matter to excel academically. In his perspective, achieving goals necessitates both talent and dedicated hard work, as talent alone is inadequate.

Likewise, Swarnim Disti, a Grade X student excelling in basketball, attributes his talent to continuous practice and effort. He was not very good at playing basketball initially. But,  after his numerous attempts, efforts, and practice, he has excelled playing basketball now. He emphasises that hard work is the key to long-term success, stating that talent alone is ineffective without consistent practice and discipline on the court.

Even if you are naturally talented this doesn't mean that you will hit success overnight. You have to struggle, put in your efforts, and work hard. Many successful people today are renowned for their talent along with efforts and struggles. The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, Elon Musk is known for his innovative thinking and relentless work ethic. His vision and dedication have played a significant role in the advancement of electric vehicles and space technology.  Similarly, Michael Jordan whose talent and work ethic were unmatched faced numerous setbacks but was able to get known as one of the greatest basketball players today due to his continuous dedication and hard work. These individuals exemplify the combination of talent and hard work that has propelled them to achieve success.