I remember I always took hours to finish my third grade homework. It got to the point that my mom even had to go speak with my teacher about it. What was so hard about the homework? Looking back at that time, I don’t even know. In all my classes throughout the years, I had to spend more time learning the material, understanding it, and studying only to get the same grades as those who barely had to study at all – yet for some reason, people still referred to me as “the smart one.”
“It’s easy for you because you’re so smart.”
“I don’t know how to do it. I’m not as smart as you.”
“You got an A because you’re so smart.”
“You can figure it out because you’re so smart.”
“I wish I was as smart as you.”
All that effort and hard work over the years simplified to one reason: you’re so smart.
Little did they know that I had to reread the textbook after class to understand the material. Little did they know that I had to stay up all night doing more practice problems. Little did they know I had to reshuffle my whole schedule to squeeze in more time for sleep and studying. Such little they knew.
Success does not come without hard work. If you don’t know how to do something, look it up. Ask someone. Not everyone is born knowing how to do it. If you can’t figure something out, try it from another perspective before giving up. Think outside the box. Take your life in your own hands to get to where you want to be.
And just remember – the person you’re calling “smart” might not have just sat there waiting for answers to come to them. Even if you aren’t especially smart or talented, you can achieve your goals and your success if you work hard enough!