Article: Lots of people are talented or naturally gifted at something, but that doesn't really make someone special. Developing a natural inclination for one thing or another can help, but it takes work to actual build that talent into something truly special. Commit to yourself and to building up your natural talents and abilities by working on them until you're an expert. Author Malcolm Gladwell writes extensively of the 10,000 hour rule in his book "Outliers: The Story of Success," that people who succeed and display true specialness have worked hard for it. It takes roughly 10,000 hours of committing to a craft, talent, or other ability before you can display any real talent or unique spice. Focus on developing yourself and working, not on making yourself special overnight. The first draft of the first novel you ever tried to write isn't going to be genius, and that's ok. Keep working. Keep getting better. People who are special don't wait around for good things to happen, special people go on the prowl for what they want, and take it. Special people have claws. Identify the things that would make you feel more satisfied, the things that would improve your condition, and identify the steps that will be necessary in getting them. Be ceaseless in your quest for those goals, things, and stages. Get what you want. Focus less on excuses. People who aren't special spend a lot of time talking about "back in the days" and "what ifs." Don't give yourself a chance to have those moments. Let yourself show. Be your true, liberated, uncensored, natural self when you're alone and when you're in public. If there is a single part of you that you don't let other people see, consider opening up more and being more vulnerable. If you tend toward the quiet, learn to start speaking your mind when it's necessary. Don't be a "yes" person. If you disagree with someone, voice your dissent. People respect others who speak their mind and are unafraid of looking for the truth. If you're around people who need their ego inflated by glad-handing sycophants, well, they're not special. Ditch 'em. Being uncensored doesn't mean letting every thought that flits through your mind come out of your mouth. Being special doesn't mean being purposefully strange, cruel, or rude. It just means that you must stop quieting yourself when you should be speaking, acting, or thinking. If it needs saying, say it. If it needs thinking, think it. It's good to find your people, a tight-knit group of friends and loved ones that you feel comfortable with. But special people take extra effort to shake up their expectations and their preconceptions, and meet and attempt to understand all kinds of people. Be willing to listen. If you're a young person, getting a job can be a big learning experience and a way of helping to develop your empathy skills. try to get an after-school job for a few hours each week and take it seriously. Hang out with people who you actively disagree with on religious, political, or moral grounds. Don't try to convince people that they're wrong about something, try to understand them. Open your mind. Give yourself a chance to feel confident and special by treating yourself and taking your appearance seriously. Buy clothes that are flattering to your shape and that you enjoy wearing. Groom yourself in a way that makes you feel confident. If that means crew-cut and cowboy boots, great. If that means waist-length dreads and Teva's, great. You don't need to be a Gucci model or competing in some kind of hipster Olympics to look special. There's no special style. Go with what looks good on you, what makes you feel confident.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Put in your 10,000 hours. Be a lion or a lioness. Uncensor yourself. Surround yourself with new people. Develop your own style.