Bethany, you should definitely keep going. Here’s why: passion is what drives mastery, not talent. Here’s a story to illustrate.

Years ago I used to do stand-up comedy. At the time I would perform at open mics with other several comics who were horrible. They couldn’t make a jackal laugh if they were tried. They were new to the business and, yet, wanted nothing more than to be a professional comedian. Maybe one joke out of their entire sets worked. It was painful to watch and watching them you would have sworn they had no talent.

But they did not give up. Flash forward ten years later and these same comics have had their own television specials, tour nationally, have opened for household names, and even appear on sit coms. To newcomers, who nine times out of ten, suck at comedy just as bad as they do, they are heroes to emulate. No one would ever suspect how bad they were at the craft in the beginning. You would look at them and think – they are so talented!

But they earned that talent. And I know at least one of them suspected he had no talent. He wanted to move back home because he simply wasn’t getting anywhere. I talked him out of it. The next year he got signed to an agency and the following year taped a one hour special.

If you have a dream work to make it happen. By working toward it, you will develop the skills you need. Big dreams call on us to learn big skills and overcome big challenges. But we are never given anything more than we can handle. There is always a way.

You are just going to have to learn by doing, and perhaps failing, and learning from it and getting up and doing again. To do that is real talent, Bethany. Use your passion to drive you and get over the hurdles in your way.

Keep at it. You owe it to your dreams to make it happen. Lots of people who others might consider “talentless” have gone far in this world. It’s just a matter of ignoring that inner voice that says you can’t and do it anyway.

Hope that helps.

• This reply was modified 10 years ago by June Morrow.