Talents

A neighbor asked if Maiya would be interested in playing on a basketball team with her daughter and a bunch of other friends from the neighborhood. So, I asked her:

Me: Maiya, do you want to play on a basketball team?

Maiya: Uh, NO! (I love it when she puts on her shocked/confused face)

Me: You'll get to play with (x) and (x) and (x).

Maiya, contemplating, then perking up: Well, I can have more than one talent. 

Me: Yes you can!

Maiya, very convincingly: You don't know how MUCH talents I have!

How much talents I have. I love that these little minds believe they can conquer the world! I remember being little and thinking I was going to grow up to become an Olympic sprinter. I was going to sweat like no other and slam dunk a game winning shot at the buzzer. My name was going to be listed as the lead in the play. My fingers were going to waltz up and down the ivories with ease. I was going to be Dizzy Lizzy on the springboard in gymnastics because I was the best gymnast. Mmmhmmm. As a 6 year-old dreaming ahead I was going to be so talented and life was going to be amazing! 

I also thought I was going to be Wonder Woman just needing to twirl around and - walla! - save the world from evil villians with my boomerang tiara and bulletproof wristbands!

My modern-day Wonder Woman version in reality is more like twirling around from one mess to another mess to another, boomeranging from taking one kid to soccer here, another to music there, and the only thing my wristbands are stopping is World War III between bickering kids. Nope, no magical walla! there. I didn't become and Olympic athlete, but I was a part of the 2002 Olympic ceremonies; I've had a lifelong participation in singing and get my kicks flipping pancakes on the weekends v. backflips at the gym. The truth is that some of those childish dreams came to fruition in their own forms and life is as amazing as I make it out to be - which is pretty darn amazing.

The power of the mind is a beautiful thing. Confidence. Belief. Self-affirmations. God did put us on this earth to magnify our talents and rise to our potential, and Maiya's sense of reflective determination is kind of thinking that makes me feel like that game-winning shot every time. She may not be the next Air Jordan, but by golly, she'll be the happiest, giggliest little baller out on the court. And that there is talent.

The Only Thing Greater Than the Power of the Mind is the Courage of the Heart ~ A Beautiful Mind