Developing talents requires vision, effort

Eleven-year-old Kennedy Torres has a talent for making incredible food. She enjoys cooking and baking just about anything, at any time. Anything besides toast, that is! She spends much of her free time watching cooking shows, reading recipes and pinning food ideas to her many Pinterest boards. Her mother has said that she is obsessed. This obsession has led to some terrific opportunities.

One day, not too long ago, Kennedy opened a fortune cookie which read, “The world will soon be ready to receive your talent.” Shortly after, she competed on the national TV cooking show “Chopped Junior” and won. As a result of her success on “Chopped Junior,” she has had some fantastic new opportunities. She has taught cooking classes at Allen and Petersen, hosted a fundraising chili cook-off with Harley-Davidson to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and been the guest judge of the cookie bakeoff at the Alaska State Fair, just to name a few.

One of her choice experiences was speaking to teens at MyHouse, a local shelter devoted specifically to at-risk teens, about discovering talents and working toward goals. Kennedy shared the inspiring words of R.S. Grey who wrote, “She believed she could so she did,” as well as Nelson Mandela who said, “It always seems impossible until it is done.” She explained that she spent a great deal of time perfecting her cooking skills over the last four years by cooking with unusual ingredients, competing in mock “Chopped Junior” competitions against friends and cooking and baking with seasoned adults from whom she could learn and increase her skill set. Kennedy also had to earn the money for a plane ticket to New York City where “Chopped Junior” is filmed before her mother would even let her apply. She had more bake sales than she can count as well as worked for friends and family to earn the money she needed.

When I asked her about the extraordinary events of the last two months, Kennedy said, “Heavenly Father gives us all talents and we get to use them in whatever way we want to.” She also commented that, “You can’t wait for your dream to come to you. You have to work hard for it.” What an incredible lesson for an 11-year-old to already understand through her own experience. Is it a lesson that we have learned but sometimes forget?

I am reminded of the parable of the talents in the book of Matthew. The Master gave one person five talents, another two, and another one, “every man according to his several ability.” After a long time the Master asked for an accounting. The one who had received five talents reported that he had gained an additional five talents and was told, “Thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things.” The man that received two talents gained two other talents and also received the same promise. But the one who had received the one talent returned with his single talent, saying, “Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man…and I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth.” His talent was taken from him. (See Matthew 25:14-30.)

I find that at times I am too content with what I am already doing. I stand by when opportunities for growth and development abound. I miss opportunities. The Lord gives each one of us our own gifts or talents. Elder James E. Faust, an apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said, “While we are not all equal in experience, aptitude and strength, we have different opportunities to employ these gifts.” Yes, obtaining talents requires work, but how great will be our joy when we hear the Lord tell us, “Well done. Thy gifts and talents shall be multiplied because of thy diligence” (Matthew 25:21).

Much of our potential is not visible on the surface and must be discovered and developed through persistence, determination, and hard work. It may be necessary to invest time and conscious effort into looking for our talents. The Lord teaches “covet earnestly the best gifts” (1 Corinthians 12:31), and instructs us to improve upon our talents so that we can grow and gain other talents. As we keep working to develop our talents, even if we do not see the immediate results of our efforts, we will become better, happier individuals. As with Kennedy, this happiness primarily comes, not as a result of a “win,” but because our efforts bring personal satisfaction and always seem to result in a gift that we can use to help improve and bless the lives of others. What talent do you have just waiting to be developed and shared?

Mandy Quimby grew up in Palmer. After a career as an R&D chemist and in sales and marketing for a pharmaceutical company, Mandy has returned to Palmer with her husband and children. She enjoys running and hiking, and volunteers as assistant director of public affairs for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.