We often hear: “She’s got talent” or “Just work hard, and you’ll succeed.” But maybe the truth is messier. Maybe the most important part isn’t talent. Not hard work either. But something deeper — the why behind it all.
Take Wilhelm Windelband, a now-forgotten 19th-century philosopher. He argued that science is not just logic, but will. Or consider Luis Armstrong — not the jazzman, but a Bolivian farmer who, driven by love for his starving nephews, bred a unique corn variety that saved his village. No degrees, no talent. Just determination and meaning.
Even brilliant people lose their spark when purpose fades. Talent dims. Work becomes empty. We’ve seen it in mathematicians turning poets, athletes leaving trophies behind for family dinners. Humans aren’t machines — they search for belonging.
But here’s the twist: imagination. A child’s inner world shapes how they fight in the outer world. If they see hard work as noble, they’ll wield it like a sword. If uniqueness is their beacon, talent becomes their map.
And how do they build that inner world? Not through school grades. Not even through parental advice. But through stories. Not stiff biographies or cheesy motivation, but living tales. When a child reads about a hero who falls, questions, and rises — they don’t just read. They grow.
So maybe it’s not about choosing between talent and effort. Maybe it’s about nurturing that spark that allows both to bloom — within a landscape of symbols, emotions, and dreams. That’s where real growth happens.
Sometimes, it’s just one book that makes all the difference. The one you didn’t plan to read. The one your mother reads aloud before bed. The one where the hero is imperfect, yet true to themselves. These books don’t top bestseller lists, but they plant seeds in the hearts of children — quiet seeds that bloom into strength, imagination, and the desire to create their own story!