Waste of Skills and Abilities

A mother camel and her baby were lying down, soaking up the sun. The baby camel asked his mom, “Why do we have these big humps on our back?”

The mom stopped to think and then said, “We live in the desert where there is not much water available. Our humps store water to help us survive on long journeys. “

The baby camel then stopped to think and said, “Well, why do we have long legs with rounded feet?”

His mother replied, “They are meant to help us walk through sand.”

The baby asked a third question, “Why are my eyelashes so long?”

The mother replied, “Your long eyelashes offer you protection from sand when it blows in the wind.”

Finally, the baby said, “If we have all of these natural abilities given to us to walk through the desert, what’s the use for camels in the Zoo?”

What do we learn from this conversation?

The skills and abilities that we possess won’t be useful if we are not in the right environment.

We do hear of people who ditched their current job or career to follow their dreams. We also often hear of people who are not satisfied or are unfulfilled in their jobs, yet they don’t make any effort for a change. Perhaps there is some apprehension about a new career move or simply the fear of the unknown. These are the people who end up having regrets at the end of their lives.  

If you’re stuck in a career that isn’t the right fit, you have to do some self-reflection to realize where your strengths lie that are going to waste. Take some inputs or information from people who are already in the career you want to switch over to. This will help you arrive at a decision regarding what may be good for you. You have to have an open mind and be receptive to new ideas.

The most important thing is that, once you have come to a firm decision, have the courage to implement it and have a sense of fulfilment in your life.