This post is going to be different than my other recent posts because I want to share with you my thoughts on something that I think plagues the houseplant hobby, but also our society in general: the lie of natural talent.

From the time that each of us is young, we are taught to believe that there are people in this world who possess certain skills or gifts to succeed at something that others may not.

What kinds of skills do I mean? Athletic ability, artistic skills, linguistic talent, musical tendencies, the ability to be particularly empathetic, etc.

I’m not trying to diminish the hard work and accolades from these individuals who have done amazing things. Whatever they’ve accomplished is still extraordinary.

But I’m also not sure how much natural talent had to do with it a lot of the time.

Can people have genetic traits that might help them succeed better at sports? Sure. But if that same individual is raised in an environment where physical abilities aren’t prioritized, and health is taken for granted, I highly doubt that individual will make it to the Olympics or the Pros.

Can people have a fascination with art or music that inspires them to learn and work harder than most people their age? Absolutely. But if they aren’t in a position to practice and express themselves, if they are forced to pursue something else, we may never get to see this potential.

The truth of the matter is that genetics, IQ, and desire are just one part of the whole story.

Most of the hobbies, careers, and activities we pursue are really a set of skills if we recognize them and take the opportunity to learn.

Parenting, playing sports, making art and music, growing plants, cooking and baking food, socializing, starting a business, etc.

Every single one is a set of skills that can be taught. It doesn’t mean we will become a parenting guru, an Olympian, a pop star, a botanist, or Gordon Ramsay…. but we can still become pretty darn good if we are willing to learn, fail, learn some more, and keep going. Keep growing.

No one is good at growing plants at first. Some people might think they are and are told they have a green thumb. Maybe they even think they do.

But I bet, if we look back far enough, they’ve been picking up skills for growing plants since they were little.

My kids, 7 and 4, already know a bit about houseplant care. If they continue to be interested, I could see them one day believing that they have a green thumb like their mom.

I assure you, my kids are not like me. For one, I was terrible at growing plants until my 30’s, and it took me A LOT of failures to start getting something right.

My kids are already better at it than I was for a lot of my life.

And secondly, my kids likely won’t remember all the times they failed, either, because they were so little when they did. They will remember all the times they got it right thanks to the gift of youth.

To summarize, so much of what we do as humans can be learned. Yes, we are all starting out from different places, faces, and genes… so it isn’t always a level playing field. I don’t want to pretend that it is.

BUT, that doesn’t mean we are disqualified from doing the thing.

We are all able to practice and to learn at whatever pace and to the extent that we are able.

To me, that’s pretty freaking incredible.

Don’t sell yourself short. You don’t need any natural talent.

Just figure out where to start learning the skills.

Related Posts

• You Can Learn How to Grow Houseplants. Start Here, #1
• How to easily ensure your houseplant will get enough sunlight. Start Here, #2
• How to water your new plant (and feel good about it). Start Here, #3
• Fertilizing a houseplant seems complicated, but it’s not. I’ll prove it. Start Here, #4
• 5 Easy Ways to Know if Your Houseplant Needs to be Repotted. Start Here, #5
• A Fast, Easy Guide to Help You Repot Your Houseplant. Start Here, #6
• What about pests? What does a beginner need to know? Start Here, #7 (Coming Soon)