Great news from Malawi. Junior Chess player, Yebo Sanga has been named the 2017 Malawi Junior Sportsman of the year at the award ceremony. It means a lot to me, because I was one of those who introduced him to the game of chess.
When I first met him in 2013, I had no idea he was destined for such great achievement. He was a rather shy boy, God fearing and very polite. Seemed to like teacher Khisho’s English more than the game itself. Though from the onset, I noticed the boy was and still is exceptionally bright, I noticed he was not putting in the effort that can make him shine in the game. I started encouraging him to work hard at the game…..solve every puzzle we gave them, never miss classes and find time to train. Eventually, he became the best of the students.
You see, in life, talent alone is never really enough. Keep improving your talent, turn your talent into a skill. If you are a footballer, train hard and perfect your skill. If you are a talented writer, read widely and hone your abilities. If you are a talented Pastor, study the Word of God and pray a lot. If you are a musician, practice hard and develop your voice to the best of your ability. In what ever you are talented at, work hard at it to bring out your best. Do research on how the best of the best of your field do it, and devise your own strategy toward improvement. It will always pay dividends.
Sometimes, one who is talented, but doesn’t work hard can be just an average at what he/she is talented at.
Even the Bible says , God will bless the works of your hands. And also; Do you see a man diligent in his work, he will not stand before ordinary men, but before kings and noble men.
So, with talent comes the great responsibility to get the best out of it!
