I have been asking myself where I was when God was distributing talents and abilities amongst other people. I felt helpless and worthless, I felt like I was a no-good person. Where there was light, I saw darkness; wherever I went and whatever I did, nothing good came out of it.

They say that comparison is the deprivation of happiness, but I just feel like it is part of human nature for one to compare themselves with others for the sake of self-development. But it backfired on me as I got hurt by the no-good person I was back then.

Most of my problems began in school. Numbers were always a challenge, unsolvable mathematical problems. I was told that practise makes perfect but for me, it brought nothing but depression as I always failed. I asked myself a rhetorical question: Why do some people get to have good things while others get absolutely nothing? I never got an answer for that, my marks were very disappointing but I never gave up on building myself up.

I thought that I was a failure because I couldn’t even do things that normal people excelled at. Whenever I tried to fit in, I ended up being a laughing stock.

I never thought of giving up on anything as I always raised my hope high, being positive. I believed that one day my life would reach a positive turning point and patience kept me going.

A mesmerising event transpired after some time, I woke up as usual, prepared myself and went to school, the place of depression. I was told to write a story about myself. I wondered, who am I? I didn’t even know. There was nothing good to write about myself; no abilities or achievements. I thought for a while until I found something positive; my hopes, goals and future achievements.

When I started writing I didn’t want to stop. I had a lot of fantasies to write about, I told myself, who knows maybe writing is my ability. I wrote my opinions and supported them with facts, then I concluded with a happy ending and handed over my assignment.

Nervousness came when the results came out, my name was called and my heart froze, figuratively. My marks were called out and everyone gave me a round of applause. I was amazed, a smile popped on my face because I knew that this might be the beginning of something great.

That was literally the best day of my life. I imagined God telling me “from today onwards, know that writing is your ability and forever be grateful as it happens to one in a billion people.”

Dancing, singing and reciting are all commonly shared amongst a number of people, but writing is rare, one person in a billion of people. That’s when I had my ‘aha’ moment. I have been comparing myself with other people, which now feels like comparing a diamond with stones. I knew from that day on that I am destined to do great things, succeed and be an inspiration to others.

My ‘aha’ moment really changed my life for the better as I now have self-worth and every day I try by all means to get closer to my hopes as it is said in the great books, “your inner strength is your outer foundation.” I am indeed building a strong foundation for myself.

Tell us: What is the rare talent you feel like only you were destined to have?