What is it that only I can do?

     The great book of world History has been and is continually populated with names of many, many great men and women. And when you pick one- any one of them, and simply ask, why him/her, the answer that would stare at your face is what inspired the title of this write up. They are masters of what they do, irreplaceable beings; so it is no surprise that they are recognized for, well, just being them.

     So when you look at it- nobody can flick a cigarette like Rajnikanth does. Not many can report (or replace-for that matter) like Bharka Dutt. And who can carry off the oomph factor as well as Aishwarya Rai does? And every aspiring film maker wishes to make movies like what Mani Ratnam directs, and the same can be said about A R Rahman’s music. What makes them stand out from the masses? My guess is that they do what only they can do..and I guess, the rest of us; complacent happy folks, we just don’t try enough to be what we only can be- we try to be THEM.

     The worrisome fact here is that you and I are not just stuck in jobs doing disconnected, random work, but we are also losing those little things that only you or I can do better than everybody else! It might be anything- from making the best chocolate chip cookies to telling the best bed time stories to your kids, from designing your own shoes that nobody but your friends know about and appreciate, to making the most innovative bags ever. From sensing animal emotions and training them like nobody can ever hope to match, to knowing how to get work done from your team using nothing but the right choice of words and gestures. Little things that nobody but you can ever do. Ah, the loss!

     What happens next- these little somethings tend to slowly fade away. “Work’s keeping me busy”, “Let the kids grow up”, “After I save enough”.. And endless excuses later, you wonder where time went! But of course- there is ALWAYS a choice! Before it is too late, buck up; identify these inborn competencies of yours. Next time, don’t stop with “Bah, I can draw better Kolams than that” or “This wedding invitation would have looked better this way”. Work on them, hone them, and before you know it, you might even be making big money with them! Open the idea gates!