Whilst I hugely respect the boxer for dedicating his entire lifestyle to his chosen profession, my instinct tells me that the bloke was just ‘lucky’ to be born with the right physical attributes, (and a face that doesn’t break under the force of a couple of blows!). It would be wrong of me to assume that the boxer started his fledgling career by beating up a few people and ‘accidentally’ discovered he was a decent fighter. Alternatively, we might be led to believe that the fighter grew up in a rough ‘n’ tough neighbourhood and turned to boxing as an outlet “to get off the streets”. Either way, I can’t really get my head around the idea that the latest WBA Heavyweight Champion of the World has reached the height of his career because he has been blessed by God.
In the case of a record-breaking sprinter, my opinion shifts slightly, but I still feel awkward when watching said athlete thank the good lord above for the talent he’s been blessed with. Sure …to run 100 metres in 9.58 seconds is indeed a superhuman achievement; No amount of training or technique-tweaking can compete with the talent that someone like Usain Bolt has quite clearly been born with. But despite this, I often feel it comes across a bit self-indulgent (and slightly smug) when an athlete thanks God following victory.
Maybe I’m just not used to being around the projection of faith? I’m a white kid, a football fan and a believer in God - but a non-practicing Christian. The comments I referred to above are merely generalisations, but they do tend to come from American sports stars in arenas such as boxing and athletics. As a football fan, I can’t recall too many English footballers thanking God after scoring a last-minute winner or having saved a penalty at Wembley.
Unlike many of my mates, I’m a bit of a one-sport man and don’t really bother with the cricket or the darts. But again, I’m sure they would tell me that the likes of Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor rarely acknowledge the part God has played in their arrow-throwing expertise. Indeed, across the landscape of British sport in general, I can only recall the likes of Prince Naseem Ahmed and Amir Khan thanking God. As practicing Muslims though, faith would have always been a huge part of their lives, no matter what their profession or level of success.
It was with interest then that I watched Manchester United’s Javier Hernández, as he prepared for his FA Cup tie at Southampton on Saturday evening. Just before kick-off, the Mexican knelt on the half-way line, clasped his hands together and said a prayer in front of 29,000 spectators. Surprisingly, instead of my rather uneducated reaction of “look at that bloody drama queen”, I instead started to question my opinions of the past.
Sure, it was a very South American thing of Hernández to do, but the lad obviously had a spiritual upbringing and is very thankful for his blessings. In that case, why should he be judged me, or anyone else, for animating his faith in public?
Without doubt, the footballer will be working hard on a daily basis, continuously honing his talents and perfecting his skills. He’ll consecrate his body to the cause, keeping himself in peak physical condition. His career-choice will dictate what he is allowed to eat, drink and enjoy in his spare-time throughout the next 20-odd years. On top of the commitment required in order to make it to the top, he’s also moved half-way across the world in order to pursue his dream.
Any success Hernández achieves is as a result of dedication, devotion and practice, practice, practice. Yet none of it would have been possible without a talent he was born with.
Having thought about it, the guy was kneeling down and praying to God because he realises how fortunate he is to have such an amazing job. A career that over the span of just 20 years, will set him up financially for the rest of his life. The job that will not only allow him to enjoy all the material pleasures he could ever wish for, but most importantly, the security to look after his family.
Whether this ability has been passed onto him via a fortunate collaboration of gifted genes, or by the grace of God is up to each of us to debate and decide upon. But what has all of this got to do with me and my search for work?
Well …given the position I find myself in once again, I know for sure that if I’d been born with a God-given talent, I would certainly be very thankful to the man upstairs for dealing me a kind hand. I love football and as I grew up, I had aspirations to be a footballer one day like most kids. I wasn’t a bad player, but a shattered meniscus, torn ligaments and three separate dislocations to the same knee tell you that physically, I wasn’t quite built for the beautiful game! Basically, I’m a skinny runt and even with all the practice in the world, I’d never had made it anywhere near pro-level.
Second biggest pipe-dream for most kids? …To be a pop-star of course! Although I can dance a bit ( …and despite the boy-band-wannabe haircuts of my ‘yoof’), I couldn’t possibly hold a tune if my life depended on it! So with a lack of the basic skill required, that idea was promptly put to bed!
But it’s not all about being born in a posh post-code where Mother and Father can afford to put you through drama school. Noel Gallagher was a self-taught musician from a council estate and is perfect proof that dedication, devotion and practice, practice, practice can make you into a Rock ‘N’ Roll Star! I’m a huge fan of Oasis, and although Noel might not be the world’s most amazing lyricist -he was once again, clearly blessed with a talent that most of us do not possess.
I now find myself searching for the holy grail of a secure career with success and longevity. I guess I could have picked up the guitar as a kid, learned how to play the drums or gone to dance classes. I could have taken up the trampoline, become an expert fire-eater, or practiced my days away to at a sport more suited to skinny kids. But I didn’t.
Unfortunately, it appears I haven’t been blessed with an extraordinary talent at birth. (If I was, it’s taken me 30 years and I still haven’t discovered it!!). Regretfully, I didn’t take up an instrument, pursue a peculiar sport or have the confidence to join an 80’s version of Glee Club. But I can’t sit here feeling sorry for myself…after all, you’ve got to work with what you’ve got.
In light of that, I have spent some time thinking about my ‘natural strengths’. I might not be the biggest, bestest, fastest or strongest in the world, but there are things that I have learned to be good at over the years. It’s now hugely important and imperative for me to hone in on those skills and match them to a career-path that will provide me with fulfilment, enjoyment and success. For example, I feel my communication skills are strong, both verbally and in writing, so it would make sense to be in a job where I can utilise these? Surely, by finding the right mix of ingredients and applying them to the right profession, it will have the knock-on effect of career longevity and job security?
As a result of the kind comments, humbling feedback and positive words I’ve received in response to this very blog, you guys have given me the encouragement and bravery to apply for a degree in Journalism – something I wanted to do as a 12 year old. Thanks to your support, I have today completed and submitted my UCAS application form and when the form is received by the University, it’s up to the Course Leader to decide if I have the skills required.
Of course, even if I’m accepted and successfully complete the course, I’m more than aware that there are no guarantees of a job at the end of it. But in the long term, if I don’t try to make the best of what I’ve got, and the skills I’ve managed to accrue over the years, I’m afraid I’ll keep winding up right back where I am now.
If you believe in God and that he created the world, then it must be true that ‘being a natural’ at something, is just another term for having a God-given talent. If that is true, then whatever happens in my work-life is surely meant to be and with the best use of the bits and pieces I was blessed with, my destiny will hopefully look after itself.
Thanks for reading once again. Until next time, be well.
Jason
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