Gifted enough to while away

Robert De Niro is celebrated as one of the greatest actors to grace 70mm but the same pedigree doesn’t hold sway to his directorial prowess. Till date, the 74-year-old veteran has directed only two feature films. One being A Bronx Tale (1993) and another, The Good Shepherd (2006). Both starred him in substantial roles. Going by his track record, this decade should have marked at least one full-length with him as its director. Well, maybe, it will; still more than two years to go.

Also, we are talking about him for two reasons:

In case you’re dying to know what the quote was, here we go: “The saddest thing in life is wasted talent.” And it’s absolutely true too. There is no bigger loss than the loss of what could have been. In an ideal world, each one of us would know exactly what we were put on this planet for. The possibility of being the one who could find the cure for cancer is as much a matter of pride as a matter of burden. Besides, a majority of us stay clueless on what we really want to do with our life. Thanks to which, we end up copying each other to such an extent that we always take the safe route out. A degree in medical or engineering is indeed difficult but the statistics of you ending up as a doctor or an engineer is much higher than you landing a Grammy. It’s a choice between what you know and what you’ll never know.

The moot being talent or rather the lack of it. If you have talent for ABC and if you don’t find ABC before an optimum period of time, your talent is, as Lorenzo established more than two decades ago, wasted. It requires supreme luck to find what you’re incredible at. Messi is an exceptionally talented footballer but he had his share of obstacles too. From being a young boy who wouldn’t grow to growing to legendary status in an era of extreme scrutiny tells us that talent indeed matters. But what matters more is the talent to spot this talent at a young age. Nobody turned into a math whiz at the age of 30. That’d be too late. By then, not only has the train left the station but also effectively derailed.

Time is essential and so is the desire to enjoy what you’re up to. Knowledge isn’t the end; it’s a mere beginning segueing us to another chapter. If you look at yourself in the mirror and don’t touch your hair because you are too consumed by the burning question — “What could I be great at?” OR “Is this all?” — then it’s worth wondering what will happen if you knew the correct answer.

What exactly would you do different that day?

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