In society, people are rarely concerned with what you cannot do. What matters more is what you can do — and what you can contribute.
Value your strengths and abilities
One day, a teacher who had reached retirement age was visited by a former student who had graduated more than a decade earlier. Having taught so many students over the years, the teacher could not immediately remember how this particular student had performed in school.
So he asked: “Which graduating class were you in?”
“The 28th,” the former student replied.
“The 28th?” The teacher was surprised. “This year’s graduates are from the 44th class. That means 16 years have already passed!”
Even then, he still could not place the student.
The man reminded him: “Back then, everyone called me ‘Monkey’ because I was good at climbing trees and getting up to high places. I remember once I was being particularly mischievous and climbed high into a big tree. I couldn’t get back down, so you had to call a fire department ladder truck to rescue me.”
“Oh, now I remember!” the teacher said. “What kind of work do you do now?”
He recalled that the student had never been interested in studying and had usually ranked near the bottom of the class.
“I work in construction.”
“How are things going for you?” the teacher asked.
Looking at his former student, he felt concerned. He remembered a boy who had struggled in school and assumed that making a living must now be difficult for him.
“Thank you for asking, teacher. I’m doing very well. I earn about NT$350,000 a month (roughly US$10,000).”
“NT$350,000?” the teacher exclaimed. “What kind of work do you do?”
He could hardly imagine an ordinary construction worker earning that much.
“I specialize in steel-frame buildings. I assemble the steel structures.”
“A construction worker can earn that much?”
“Yes,” the former student replied. “Most workers aren’t comfortable working high above the ground, but I’ve always been good at it. I can move easily at great heights, and I can drive rivets quickly and securely. It takes skill, so I earn considerably more than most workers.”
The teacher was astonished.
“That really is impressive,” he said. “It seems I was wrong to focus so much on grades back then. You aren’t afraid of heights, and you developed a skill that few people can match. You can earn in one month what would take me a much longer time to make.”
The teacher patted his former student on the shoulder, filled with mixed emotions.
We often spend a great deal of time worrying about what we cannot do while paying much less attention to what we can do well.
Everyone has different strengths and abilities. Someone who struggles in one area may have talents others do not. If we judge people only by grades, titles, or conventional measures of success, we may fail to recognize what they can become.
When people recognize their strengths and continue developing them, those abilities can become valuable skills. By concentrating on what they do well and cultivating it seriously, they may develop expertise that is difficult for others to match.
The road to failure is the most crowded
The road to success is never overcrowded because relatively few people are willing to stay on it until the end.
Achieving something worthwhile usually requires a difficult period of training and effort. People may have to improve not only their skills but also their attitude, discipline, and ability to endure setbacks. This can require a great deal of time and energy.
Many people begin with enthusiasm but gradually fall away.
Some stop because they do not continue learning. Others become afraid of failure and hesitate to move forward. Some are discouraged by negative emotions when difficulties arise. Others think too highly of themselves and become unwilling to recognize their mistakes or accept that they still have more to learn.
As the road becomes harder, fewer people continue.
That is why persistence matters. Talent and natural ability can give someone a good starting point, but they are rarely enough on their own. Strengths must be developed, skills must be improved, and mistakes must become opportunities to learn.
The former student in the story had an ability that seemed almost useless in the classroom. He could climb, move confidently at great heights, and work with unusual agility. What once made him known as the mischievous “Monkey” later became part of the foundation for a valuable professional skill.
His success did not come from becoming good at the things his teacher once thought were most important. It came from recognizing what he could do well and developing that ability until it became something valuable.
Success may depend on many things, but the willingness to keep going is among the most important.
Recognize your strengths. Develop them patiently. Keep learning, stay humble when you make mistakes, and don’t give up just because the road gets difficult.
The road to success is not necessarily reserved for the most naturally gifted people. Often, it becomes less crowded simply because so many people stop before reaching the end.
Translated by Eva
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