There is a popular story about a famous violinist, Joshua Bell, who would go to random, heavily foot-tracked places and play music. For example, the violinist played outside a Metro stop in Washington, D.C., and another time, he played at a subway station in Boston.
The experiment was to see if anyone would stop and appreciate a world-renowned musician playing for free.
Rarely did anyone stop, and by the end of it, he earned around $30 of tips.
The common takeaway is that you will be overlooked and undervalued if you are in the wrong environment. However, I think there is another lesson to be learned from this simple experiment.
We are constantly surrounded by talent; it’s our ability to recognize it that allows us to appreciate it.
The environment surely provides a disposition of preferences and tastes, and some environments will value and appreciate talent differently. However, from my perspective, working on developing proficiency and awareness that talent comes in all different shapes, sizes, and colors, but most of all, it falls upon us in serendipitous moments.
Be ready for that moment, for it could be a life-changing opportunity.
Talent is all around us.
