Day 168

I am told that when I was very young I had unexplained convulsions. My parents took me to a doctor who explained these convulsions as the inability of my body to keep pace with my brain. According to family lore, he proclaimed me to be a child prodigy, a genius of sorts. My parents, being young and naive and in need of hope, believed him. I grew up believing that I was special. It took me 40 years to understand that I am not.

I enjoyed being special. At times it gave me an edge, a certain confidence that I would succeed. But it was also a burden. Being special is a responsibility - I felt compelled to accomplish great things, to save the world.

I was finally able to lay down this burden when I realized that everyone is given special gifts and talents. What we do with those gifts and talents depends, to a large extent, on the circumstances and opportunities that we encounter. The best that we can do in life is to be aware and take advantage of the opportunities that come our way, to use our gifts to make our little piece of the world a better place.