In life, there is nothing worse than regret. I would hate to come to the end of life and discover that I had been given some talent, and I never used it. I do not want to be filled with regret for opportunities I could have seized and things I could have accomplished. If we seek to discover our talents and abilities early, we can reach success more quickly than if we wait until we stumble upon those talents.

For instance, there once was a small-time jazz piano player who was working in a night club. He and his bass player and guitarist were a pretty successful trio. The crowd loved to hear them play, but they were just a local phenomenon.

One night, a drunken customer said he didn't want to hear them just play anymore. He wanted the piano player to sing. The piano player said, "I don't sing." But the customer was persistent. He complained to the bartender.

"I'm tired of listening to the band. I want that guy to sing Sweet Lorraine."

"Look, buddy," the bartender shouted across the room to the piano player, "if you want to get paid, sing."

So the trio started playing Sweet Lorraine, and the piano player sang. He sang a song that people were familiar with, but in a way that no one had ever heard before. That night Nat King Cole began to sing.

He might have remained a smalltime musician for the rest of his life, but because he was asked to sing, he discovered a new talent. A few years later his song Mona Lisa became a #1 hit, and he became one of the best-known entertainers in America!

Think of what the world would have missed if Nat King Cole had never ventured to sing in public! He had been comfortable and moderately successful as a musician. But when he stepped outside what was comfortable and familiar, he discovered his true talent. Yet who would have known had he not begun to sing?

What talent do you have that you haven't been using? Do not jump to the conclusion that you are without outstanding talent. How do you know before you try? And how many things are there that you have not yet tried? We might as well have no ability at all if we're just going to sit on the talent we possess. I guarantee you that you have talents inside you that are not yet discovered! We all do!

My challenge is that you not only discover what useful abilities you have, but to commit to use those abilities. As you build your Melaleuca business, you may uncover new abilities. As you focus on the seven critical business-building activities, you may discover things about yourself. You may find when you get involved in Fast Track that you are a great leader. You may find in a 48-hour follow-up that you are a great mentor. You may find when you commit to do one approach a day that you are a more friendly, outgoing person than you thought. The point is to take action, do things that are not comfortable or familiar, and begin the discovery process. Start looking for the talents and abilities you don't know you have, and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with the gifts you find. Then commit to use those abilities every day.

Although we all face challenges in our lives, we also have been given the ability to overcome them. If you focus on discovering what you can do, and put aside the ineffective activities that don't make use of your potential, you will develop success. Don't expect to just stumble upon success. Go in search of your abilities, overcome limitations, and choose to focus the use of your time on effective activities. (In building a Melaleuca business there are specifically seven critical activities that you need to focus on.) I guarantee that if you do this, you won't look back with regret.

Sincerely,

Frank