What You Didn’t Know You Had, Until Now – How to Awaken the Talents That Are Truly Yours
- Brainz Magazine
- Nov 11
- 11 min read
Nawres Chikhaoui is a Possibilitarian Mindset Coach, two-time TEDx speaker, and author of Cabin Crew, The Luminaries and Run Your Race. Through her Run It educational platform, she empowers creatives and dreamers to awaken their talents and live with purpose.
Do you feel called to more, but don’t know what that “more” is? Or maybe you sense a gift inside you but can’t fully express it. This article shows how to uncover your hidden talents, act on them with courage, and align with your purpose even if you feel unqualified, unsure, or unclear where to start.
This could be a sign of the unique contribution your soul is meant to make.
What does talent really mean?
Talent is often seen as something inborn, an ability that “comes naturally.” It might be the ease with which someone picks up a musical instrument, expresses creativity, or demonstrates athleticism. Dictionaries often describe it as a “special, often athletic, creative, or artistic aptitude.”
On the flip side, many experts emphasize that talent can also be made. Studies in psychology show that exceptional ability often develops through deliberate practice, persistence, and supportive environments rather than innate gifts alone. In this view, talent is not fixed but formed, a dynamic process shaped by effort, curiosity, and opportunity.
As a matter of fact, talent manifests in countless forms, problem-solving, leadership, teaching, designing, painting, singing, emotional intelligence, and beyond. It emerges whenever someone dares to imagine, create, and act upon inspiring ideas.
Talent is not defined by perfection or comparison but by the unique contribution each individual can offer. In this sense, giftedness may be understood as a rainbow of traits, emotional, imaginal, intellectual, sensual, and psychomotor, each person reflecting a distinctive spectrum of potential and expression.
Some may shine brightly in a single colour, while others embody several hues at once, blending abilities in ways that create new shades of brilliance. Just as every colour adds depth to the rainbow, every talent, in its own form and intensity, enriches the human experience.
How to know if I am truly talented
Those who are truly talented lose track of time in their craft, inspire others, and bring a unique spark to whatever they do. They express their natural strengths and show up authentically, often feeling alive, absorbed, and energized in what they create.
Here are some signs that your talent may be quietly calling you:
You feel out of place in ordinary spaces: You crave depth and meaning. Shallow chatter or trivial routines drain your energy because your mind and soul are built for bigger things.
You seek solitude: You thrive when alone, needing space to dream, reflect, create, and let your soul speak.
You are resilient: Setbacks fuel you rather than stop you. You learn fast, grow stronger, and push beyond your limits.
You are spiritual: You feel connected to something greater than yourself, whether through intuition, meditation, or a sense of purpose, and you trust this inner compass.
You are driven by purpose, not approval: You focus on impact rather than applause, understanding that ceilings are stepping stones, not limits.
You inspire without trying: People around you feel energized, awakened, and motivated simply by your presence.
Your creativity and vision are strong: You notice patterns, details, and possibilities that others miss. Your mind imagines, designs, and innovates in ways that shape the world.
Rigid systems feel suffocating: Strict rules and routines constrain you. You flourish in freedom, flow, and exploration rather than confinement.
Everyone is gifted: Is it a fact or a belief?
Giftedness exists within everyone, and that’s a fact. Yet isn’t it strange how we’re often told that only a rare few, the geniuses like Nietzsche, Einstein, or Van Gogh, are truly exceptional? As if, unless you’re one of them, there’s nothing special in you to unlock.
Such greatness isn’t always loud, and it doesn’t always show up on a stage. We all possess it, but it depends on each individual’s awareness and the choices they make afterward, how it is expressed and shared with the world.
Do talented people feel their talent?
It bears repeating, awareness plays a crucial role in recognizing and acting on what we carry within, and the choices we make afterward are just as significant. Deep down, most people sense their gifts. Yet layers of self-doubt, fear, and societal expectations can cover these talents like dust, making them feel hidden or forgotten.
Some never clear this dust, not because the talent isn’t there, but because they choose not to face the discomfort, the effort, or the uncertainty that comes with uncovering it. By confronting and removing that dust, you reconnect with the gifts you’ve always carried and open the door to expressing them with intention.
Innate ability vs. growth: Is talent all it takes?
While we all possess innate abilities, having them alone doesn’t guarantee achievement. Talent, in and of itself, doesn’t automatically translate into success. It must be recognized, nurtured, and acted upon.
Experts like Angela Duckworth, author of Grit, define talent as “how quickly your skills improve when you invest effort.” She illustrates this with a simple formula, Talent × Effort = Skill. Skill × Effort = Achievement.
In other words, talent can give you a head start, but long-term success depends far more on perseverance, deliberate practice, and consistent effort.
Talent is not fixed. Think of it like a seed rather than a fully grown tree. Early signs may hint at potential, but they never tell the full story. How it develops is influenced by a combination of knowledge, experience, attitude, motivation, and character. Most importantly, true talent includes the capacity to learn, adapt, and grow, encompassing not just what you can do today, but what you might become tomorrow.
As Anushka Rao points out in her TEDxYouth talk Talent vs. Hard Work, society often overestimates innate ability while undervaluing effort and persistence. Talent is malleable, not fate. It is something we actively shape through deliberate practice, reflection, and action.
Relying solely on what is innate can be limiting, discouraging growth and effort. But when we understand that our abilities can be cultivated, we open the door to improvement, learning, and meaningful achievement. Talent isn’t something to wait for, it is something to grow.
How do talent, passion, potential, and purpose connect?
Talent: Your innate gifts
Passion: The energy and excitement that fuel your talents
Potential: The possibility of how far your gifts can grow
Purpose: The guiding force that channels all three toward meaningful impact
When aligned, talent fuels passion, grows into potential, and contributes to purpose, creating a life that feels authentic, fulfilling, and uniquely yours.
Why some treasure troves stay hidden
Hidden talents are often masked by fear, self-doubt, or societal pressures. For instance, creatives, writers, speakers, and entrepreneurs frequently struggle because their work exposes their inner world.
In this physical world, we are at a choice station. Some choose to awaken their abilities early, some are still deciding whether to board the train, and some choose to keep it quiet, the brilliant mother, the silent painter, the dancer who moves only when no one’s watching.
You’ve probably met people who surprise you, “I had no idea you could do that.” Yet they’ve chosen not to take it further, not to expand it.
Why? Because tapping into our unique talents is a choice. What is your choice?
9 blocks that keep creatives and dreamers from channeling their magic
Self-doubt: Constantly questioning your abilities can paralyze you, keeping your potential hidden and unexplored.
Fear of failure: Worrying about making mistakes creates hesitation and prevents experimentation.
Feeling unqualified: Waiting until you feel “ready” makes you stall indefinitely, leaving your skills undeveloped.
Perfectionism: Obsessing over flawlessness traps you in endless editing and prevents progress.
Inner critic and energy vampires: Negative self-talk and toxic influences amplify insecurity, making it harder to take action.
Dependence on external validation: Seeking approval shifts focus away from authentic expression, making your work reactive rather than original.
Fear of rejection or criticism: Avoiding discomfort leads to stagnation, keeping ideas untested and unheard.
Lack of clarity or direction: Not understanding what you truly want or where to focus causes indecision, leaving potential untapped.
Limited resources: Scarcity of time, money, or support can create frustration and delay creative progress.
Why scratching and decoding your dreams matters
Dreams aren’t just whimsical ideas. They are reflections of your latent talents and potential. Scratching beneath the surface, observing patterns, and decoding recurring visions reveal gifts you may have ignored. Your dream isn’t asking you to figure everything out. It’s asking you to follow the pull, one step at a time.
5 actionable steps to reveal your greatness
Your hidden talents often leave breadcrumbs, recurring interests, activities that make time disappear, and moments of effortless focus. These are subtle signals your soul has been quietly sending, inviting you to notice and respond. Observing them without judgment is the first step toward uncovering what’s waiting to be expressed.
Here’s how to start uncovering your hidden talents:
Ask the right questions: Begin with two simple but powerful reflections from Noeline Kirabo’s TEDx talk:
What would you do if you had all the time and money in the world?
What makes you forget to eat and sleep? Your answers reveal the spaces where passion and potential intersect, often, that’s where your talent lives.
Observe recurring patterns: Notice the thoughts, topics, and activities that keep resurfacing in your life. These patterns aren’t random, they’re invitations pointing you toward what feels most natural and alive within you.
Take small risks: Talent needs motion to grow. Sign up for that class, start that small project, or volunteer for a creative role. Every small risk opens the door to discovery and helps you build confidence.
Trust your intuition: Your intuition often recognizes your gifts before your logic does. Jamilla Gault, in her TEDx talk Uncover You: Discover Your Purpose, calls it an inner compass, one that quietly guides you toward your authentic path when you dare to listen.
Align your daily habits: Talent thrives through rhythm and consistency. Build simple habits, journaling, practicing, or creating, that give your gifts the space to evolve. As Sir Ken Robinson reminds us in Do Schools Kill Creativity?, every form of talent deserves room to breathe and flourish.
When you begin to listen, you’ll realize your life has been whispering clues all along. Your talents are not waiting to be found somewhere out there. They’re waiting for you to pay attention and begin.
Is performance a true measure of our innate abilities?
Talent can sometimes be observed through early performance, how quickly someone learns or how easily they pick up a skill, but long-term skill and achievement are far more meaningful indicators. Since “talent” is often inferred from performance, there’s a risk of over-attributing success to raw ability rather than effort, growth, and dedication.
Do I need to be “qualified” to start?
You don’t need anyone’s permission to create or to let your gifts emerge. Julia Cameron captures this truth perfectly, “You don’t need to be ‘qualified’ to create. You just need to start.”
Creation doesn’t happen before the work. It happens because of the work. Morning pages, messy drafts, imperfect songs. These are not detours, they’re doorways that lead you to your creative potential.
Remember, you are both the artist and the art, a work in progress, a masterpiece still unfolding.
What’s the best way to express your unique gifts?
Discovery is the spark, but expression is the flame. Once you’ve recognized your talents, the real transformation begins when you put them into motion. Talent doesn’t grow in theory, it grows in practice.
Here’s how to start embodying what you’ve uncovered:
Start small but start now: Don’t wait for the perfect moment or full clarity. Begin with one simple step that moves your talent from thought into form. Action creates momentum.
Share your work: Let others witness your process, not just your polished results. Share your ideas with a trusted peer, mentor, or community. Feedback fuels refinement, and connection expands courage.
Learn as you go: You don’t need to be an expert to begin. Every attempt, successful or not, builds confidence and reveals new layers of your ability. Growth happens through doing, not waiting.
Stay consistent: Momentum is built through small, steady actions. Even on days when inspiration feels distant, showing up keeps your talent alive. Discipline is devotion in disguise.
Celebrate progress, not perfection: Talent evolves through imperfection. Celebrate the courage to create, the willingness to learn, and the joy of progress, however small. Perfection is the enemy of movement, growth is its ally.
Why resistance shows what truly matters
Taking action on what you bring to the world isn’t always easy. Fear, doubt, and uncertainty often show up just as you’re making progress. These obstacles aren’t signs to stop, they’re signals that you’re pushing into areas that matter.
The path can be challenging. You might feel stuck, frustrated, or unsure if you’re moving in the right direction. Nothing worth creating happens instantly, except coffee. Yet, we live in a microwave generation that expects quick results, immediate validation, and instant success. Resistance reminds us that meaningful growth takes time, patience, and consistent effort.
Embrace it. Lean in. Each moment of struggle is a step forward, a chance to learn, and an opportunity to strengthen your confidence. The challenges you face while acting on your gifts reveal what you truly care about and hint at the deeper purpose behind the work you’re meant to do.
Talent, luck, and opportunity: What really matters?
While natural talent is important, scholars remind us that external factors such as socio-economic background, opportunities, mentors, and chance can influence how far talent can take you. However, relying on luck alone can be detrimental. True “luck” often appears when preparation and hard work meet opportunity.
As James Scott Bell pointed out, “Luck is where hard work meets opportunity.” By developing your skills, making deliberate choices, and seizing the right moments, you create your own luck.
Ultimately, it’s a choice, your journey, your race, and your way. You are at a choice station, deciding how to navigate the interplay of talent, effort, opportunity, and the luck you create through action.
Where do I meet my purpose?
Robert Byrne reminds us that “the purpose of life is to have a life of purpose.”
Purpose is a living, evolving force. It grows as you grow and gives meaning to everything you do. Our talents are not random, they are guides pointing us toward that deeper sense of purpose.
Purpose can take different forms for different people. Spiritual purpose emerges when you untangle from society’s expectations and follow what feels deeply aligned with your inner self. Social purpose is for those who want to act, contribute, and make a meaningful impact in the world around them. Neither path is wrong. It simply depends on your message, your journey, and how you’re meant to show up.
When you act on what comes naturally, writing, coaching, creating, teaching, you begin to uncover how your gifts intersect with these dimensions. Start small and stay consistent, each step compounds into meaningful impact. Purpose isn’t discovered all at once, it unfolds as you show up, grow, and allow your life to speak.
How can your giftedness shape your journey and humanity’s?
Discovering our talents matters a lot today because our existence is not accidental, it is purposeful. As Oprah Winfrey aptly said, “Your real job in life is to figure out what it is you are called to do.” Each of us carries a unique touch meant to be expressed, explored, and shared.
Talents are the tools through which we evolve and elevate humanity, allowing us to contribute meaningfully and leave an imprint only we can make. By embracing and developing our abilities, we align with the reason we are here, to create, to inspire, and to transform both ourselves and the world around us.
If you don’t take your gifts seriously, no one will
Discover your talents. Take the first small step today to explore what makes you unique.
The world is waiting for what only you can bring.
If you feel stuck, start small, write, paint, coach, teach, sing, or simply experiment. Try as many things as you can. Share your journey with others and watch how momentum grows.
Remember, the world doesn’t need your perfection. It needs your presence. You are capable of uncovering your hidden talents and living fully aligned with your purpose.
Because gifts unused don’t disappear. They turn into regrets. The race is waiting for you to run it.
Prompt: What’s one small thing you can do this week to explore a talent you’ve been willingly or unwillingly ignoring?
You don’t have to walk this path alone. Join our Run It Community and be part of a movement of people who are boldly using their gifts and stepping into purpose. Connect with others in our Group Coaching Session, where we’ll create momentum, accountability, and confidence together. It’s time to stop hiding your gifts and start running your race fully, freely, and unapologetically.
Read more from Nawres Chikhaoui
Nawres Chikhaoui, Possibilitarian Mindset Coach
From a broke dreamer who struggled to fund her creative ideas, Nawres Chikhaoui has become a global author, possibilitarian mindset coach, speaker, and founder of the educational platform Run It. Her teenage dream of flying led her to discover deeper passions and connect with her troves. Through her books, Cabin Crew, The Luminaries and Run Your Race, her talks, and her platform, Nawres helps those with wild dreams and creative sparks uncover what their inner catalyst is calling them to express. Her mission is a world where every talent shines and possibilities expand.
