One of the most common mistakes people make is that they define talent and skill synonymously. However, they are two completely different things. Talent you have naturally, you don’t have to work at it. Skill is ability developed from hours and hours of practice at your craft. My best talent is by far my ability to succeed in school, and my natural affinity for STEM topics. However, I believe that my greatest skill comes in Water Polo. I joined Water Polo in seventh grade, because I was too small to be effective in football, and the Fresno heat combined with heavy padding is truly miserable. I naively believed that in Water Polo I would quickly rise to the level of the Star of the team, because I have had a pool for as long as I remember. Unfortunately, as with all sports that I have tried, I lacked any talent, and apparently my swimming skills were not as advanced as I had anticipated. I spent the duration of seventh and eighth grade playing left bench.
