I considered her a loser back thenI know that sounds harsh and judgmental, but it’s the truth.
To my college-bound pals and me, she was virtually nonexistent.
But there she was, more than 20 years later, impossible to avoid.
I girded myself to feel pity and condescension.
Then she handed me her business card: She was an executive at a major record label.
The joke was on me.
“Youwere the really smart one,” I heard myself saying as we air-kissed and waved good-bye.
It was something I could never have imagined uttering in high school.
We all possess elements of each, although we may not always be aware of or use them.
Musical intelligence, for instance, often appears in people who are mathematically gifted.
Spatial ability is common in people with a penchant for athletics or dance.
Interpersonal intelligence, or “people smarts,” is usually found in those who also possess verbal acuity.
Far from being static, intelligences can also shift over time, Armstrong points out.
In other words, stop denigrating yourself for what you’re able to’t do.
To get ahead in life and, more important, feel fulfilled, you oughta play to your strengths.
It’s never too late to start that self-exploration.
Use the exercises on these pages to help you discover what you’re truly meant to be doing.
That’s what happened to Lisa Hedley.
“So I joined a big law firm.
Except I don’t thrive in a rigid, structured environment.
What I do have a talent for, I realized, was making sense of art.”
It’s not always easy to switch gears.
Is it your father who always teased you about your so-called ditziness?
Buckingham’s words make me think of all the years I spent trying to hide my difficulty with arithmetic.
Although I was a whiz at language and writing, my poor performance in math horrified my parents.
(Despite what your teachers may have told you, using a calculator is not cheating.)
Too bad that as kids, we’re often taught that one has to suffer to succeed.
It’s better to start with your natural abilities and focus on taking those to a higher level.
In the long run, that’s what is likely to make you happiest.
The trick is to go for your goal within limits.
“Most people assume they can learn to be anything they want to be.
That’s not necessarily so,” Buckingham says.
Even when raw ability is there, success is not guaranteed.
So we were all surprised when, seemingly on impulse, she became convinced she could be a writer.
Of course, some goals are elusive no matter how much talent you have.
After all, there’s room for only so many actresses on the red carpet.
Take a class with a prominent teacher who agrees beforehand to give you an honest appraisal.
Apply for a program that requires an audition or a portfolio for admission.
I heard that Anna figured all this out, eventually.
While freelancing back in the States, she worked for a children’s arts organization.
Her bosses fell in love with her warmth and organizational skills.
In other words, she’s making the most of what she has always done best.
Ask yourself if, in your current job, you typically use your top abilities.
“If not, there is no clearer sign that you oughta refocus,” Atkins says.
You’ll begin with an edge because you’ll be tapping into your natural proclivities.
In the end, you’ll be ahead of the game and feel happier, too.
Sure, I loved the travel to Paris, touring vineyards and the $400 bottles of Bordeaux.
I quit soon after and went back to school to hone my writing skills.
It was the hardestand bestdecision I ever made.
Photo Credit: Terry Doyle
