The Natural
When I was a kid, I saw a movie on TV called “The Natural.” If I recall correctly (and this is all from my memory so I assume it’s merely directionally correct), it’s about a guy who is about to start his professional baseball career, but he’s shot and so that career does not materialize. Much later, he starts a baseball career under another name, and he proceeds to hit home runs under that name, though he is still adversely affected by his gunshot wound. As a child that movie affected me because it roughly made the point that you either have “it” or you don’t, which was roughly the opposite of the lesson in The Pistol, which I also loved as a child.
Years later, I had a girlfriend who taught me a proverb. It was like, “There are two wolves in you. Which one is stronger?” And the answer is, “The one you feed.”
I think about both often. I think I grew up in a time and/or culture where you either have “it” or you don’t. However, my own belief is that you can only have what you develop. Even if you are a “natural,” you need to learn the rules of the game. No “natural” starts out knowing the administration of the thing. And so it’s a fun thing to do, to imagine you can get it your first try or not at all, but I contend that’s an extremely limiting belief that leads to giving up too soon.