Posted by Kiyah Straw at Tuesday, February 3, 2026 at 2:07 PM
As kids we are taught that we should chase the things we are good at. Whether it be natural talent in a career, a skill that comes easily, or success it is still the dream that you should seek out. Though I spend my time creating, learning, and trying new things I have started to realize that loving what you do matters far more than being instantly good at it.
Being good at something can bring many opportunities , but it doesn’t always keep the opportunities coming to you. If you don’t enjoy the work, natural talent turns into pressure. Something that feels impressive starts to make you feel burnt out. Some get so afraid to make even the most simple mistakes when doing what they are good at out of fear that it will make them “not good enough” anymore. Loving what you do changes that. When you care deeply about something, failure is a part of the process and you are just doing what you love instead of worrying you aren’t good at it.
Passion gives you strength. When you love an activity, you stick with it longer than someone who’s only doing it because they’re skilled. You practice, you think about it outside of scheduled time, you notice details others overlook and over time, that commitment builds up into skill naturally. Some people who are considered “great” didn’t start out that way, they just developed a passion for whatever activity they became skilled in while some say they were “born for this” and have always felt a connection with said activity.
Some of my favorite examples of both development of passion and feeling like they were “born for this” are WWE wrestlers! Many WWE wrestlers say they have always loved wrestling whether it was a cool match they saw as kids or from the storytelling behind some of WWE’s most popular moments. Some examples of that are AJ Lee, Bayley, and Seth Rollins who are all WWE wrestlers who loved the business growing up. Some WWE wrestlers say they feel they were born for this due to legitimately being born in a generational WWE wrestling family. Some examples of that are Natalya (daughter of Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart), Cody Rhodes (son of Dusty Rhodes), and Randy Orton (son of “Cowboy” Bob Orton) who are WWE nepo babies and come from generations of WWE wrestlers.
Loving what you do also changes your relationship with growth. If you’re only focused on being good, you’re constantly comparing yourself to others and stressing yourself out. You measure progress by awards, numbers, or approval. But when you enjoy the work itself, improvement becomes personal. You celebrate small wins. You notice how far you’ve come instead of how far you have to go. That mindset makes learning healthier and more sustainable.
In the end, being good at something is nice, but loving what you do is powerful. Skill can impress people. It shows how passionate and open you are to grow and get better because of how much you love it. You don’t have to be the best to matter. You just have to care enough to keep showing up. And sometimes, that love is what turns “not good yet” into something truly meaningful.
