This book with help you with that:
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
by Carol Dweck.
She talks about "smart" people and those that aren't like them.
It is basically about attitude: smart people have one kind of
attitude and others don't.
Smart person on failing a test or exam:
"I failed because I didn't put in the effort and hard work"
Others:
"I failed because I'm not talented enough"
But basically what the other people think
("you must be born with talent", "I don't have it", "he is born smart") is all junk.
It's all about how much effort and hard work you put in.
To be smart, just change your attitude.
That's it.
Nothing else!
People aren't born gifted -- they become gifted thru hard work -- you can too!!
Here a is nice parable regarding that:
Its from
Mastery: The Keys to Success and Long-Term Fulfillment
by George Leonard:
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"In our scriptures, it is said that there are four kinds of horses:
excellent ones, good ones, poor ones and bad ones. The best horse will
run slow and fast, right and left, at the driver's will, before it
sees the shadow of the whip; the second best will run as well as the
first one, just before the whip reaches its skin; the third one will
run when it feels pain on its body; the fourth will run after the pain
penetrates to the marrow of its bones.
You can imagine how difficult it is for the fourth one to learn to run.
"When we hear this story, almost all of us want to be the best horse.
If it is impossible, to be the best one, we want to be the second
best.' But this is a mistake, Master Suzuki says. When you learn too
easily, you're tempted not to work hard, not to penetrate to the
marrow of a practice.
"If you study calligraphy, you will find that those who are not so
clever usually become the best calligraphers. Those who are very
clever with their hands often encounter great difficulty after they
have reached a certain stage. This is also true in art, and in life.'
The best horse, according to Suzuki, may be the worst horse. And the
worst horse can be the best, for if it perseveres, it will have
learned whatever it is practicing all the way to the marrow of its
bones."
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So give up all notion of "I'm not this..." and "I'm not that..." and pour
all your being into whatever you want to accomplish!!