Ask yourself the following question and don't read on until you have the answer in mind:  What are you really good at?  Are you good with kids?  Are you good with adults?  Are you good at sports?  Are you good at school?  Are you good at business?  What is it?  What are you really good at?

Now, keep that one thing in mind as you read on...

Like Rudy, everyone has a talent.  Some people have more talent than others.  But everyone has talent.  Talents come in all levels of sophistication.  Regardless of your talent level, your obligation to the good of the order is to develop your skill on par with your talent. 

Rudy developed his skill on par with his talent.  He became the best practice player in the history of Notre Dame football by developing his football skill on par with the level of football talent he was given.  He didn't become the best professional football player ever because he didn't have that level of talent.  But, he did develop football skills to become the best practice player.  When you get the person who has a little talent and that person develops his skill on par with that relatively lower talent level, you get Rudy.

When you get the person who has huge natural talent and he develops his skill on par with his relatively higher talent level, you get Michael Jordan.  Or, God forbid, Michael Jackson.  Say what you want about Michael Jackson, no one worked harder than he did to develop his skill on par with his talent.  And, he became one of the most successful entertainers of all time as a result.  Likewise, no one worked harder that Michael Jordan to develop his skill on par with this talent.  As a result, he became one of the best basketball players in history.

So, what about you?  What are you good at?  What talents do you have? 

Now, what are you going to do to develop your skill on par with your talent?  What are you going to do to become the  Rudy or Michael Jordan or Michael Jackson of your area of talent?  Perhaps that means developing the skill to play a few notes on the piano.  Perhaps it means developing the skill to teach elementary school.  Perhaps it means developing the skill to try out for the Metropolitan Opera.  It means something different for every person.  Only you know what level of talent you've been given.  And, only you will know whether you have done enough to develop your skill sufficiently to match the talent you have.

Whatever you do, don't let it ever be said that you wasted a talent you were given.  Show the universe that you are grateful for what you have.  Go out there and develop your skill on par with your talent!