If people knew how hard I worked to gain my mastery, it wouldn’t seem so wonderful.

-Michelangelo (1475-1564)

It’s no secret Michelangelo was a talented and gifted artist. He was born to paint, sculpt and create. But did you ever stop to consider his work ethic?

My vision of this famous painter is of a guy who had beautiful pictures floating around in his head and spent his time relaxing with a paint brush in his hand creating masterpieces, effortlessly. I never imagined him working hard or even sweating to become a master of the oils.

Who taught him how to paint? How many times did he mess up? Did his first angel look like a bald eagle? It’s obvious by his quote he spent hours honing his craft to be as good as he was. Michelangelo was gifted, but he didn’t depend solely on his talent to be a master; he combined it with hard work.

There is nothing more frustrating than knowing someone with a gift or talent and watching them waste it because they don’t add hard work into the equation. A talented baseball player can only be so good relying totally on talent; it’s when the hours of practice kick in, that sets him apart from the rest of the players.

We have enjoyed some great college hoops lately, and when you watch these athletes, none of the young men on the floor are relying totally on talent to win the game. They are relying on the day after day after day of shooting 100 free throws, or the hours they have spent shooting from the 3-point line or the countless layups they have had to make.

They have been practicing hours upon hours for this moment, and we have enjoyed the show as their talent and work ethic kick in to make every second count on the court.

Each one of us is gifted in some area, and the use of that gift will make the difference in our little corner of the world and beyond. No matter what vocation you are in – dairy farming, beef or pork production, excavation, nursing, wherever you are – you have so much to offer. You could be the best encourager in the world, but if you keep your mouth shut, what good is that gift? Your gift is to be exploited and used!

Where are you gifted? What are you relying on? Are you willing to sweat a little to perfect your game? Are you willing to take a chance, work a little and see where you end up? Don’t be afraid of success: press on, work harder and you might be surprised.

Readers with questions or comments for Melissa Hart may write to her in care of this publication.