Talent is a gift. It's something that you're born with. But it is not as rare as most imagine. As a matter of fact, my observations over the years and my conversations with other teachers has caused me to believe that talent is fairly common. The problem with talent is that it is often misused or misunderstood.
I currently have two students, both are mid-teens, who rarely practice. They are talented enough to get away with it for weeks at a stretch. Case in point - a 14 year old boy had been assigned the same piece for five weeks and seemed to make no progress at all. I eventually concluded that he didn't really like the song and wasn't motivated to make an honest effort. So I gave him a new song, approximately the same level of difficulty, and he sight-read it, playing every bit as well as the song we had given up on.
It's not the song or the style of playing or anything like that. I've had many conversations with him and offered other more popular pieces. The result is nearly always the same. It takes effort to play really well but he can play "okay" without much practice at all. And "okay" seems to work for him.
I will use myself as an example of misunderstood talent. I think I'm a pretty good musician but I've never performed particularly well. Over the years I've become increasingly more uncomfortable with giving solo concerts or recitals. I told someone a few years ago that I had never received a standing ovation as a performer.
I've had some minor success as a performer and as a composer. But I'm not talented in either. I'm not awful, but I'm not awesome either. It took me a while to realize that my talent lies in teaching. I was 19 when I gave my first lessons for money but 34 before I embraced it as a serious career.
There are only some parts of performing or composing that I enjoy. Usually it is not the process but the completion. But I enjoy all parts of being a teacher. Not only the lessons, but developing new materials, new approaches, the business and marketing side....all of it. To be sure, it's hard work sometimes and can be very frustrating. But the frustration is usually directed at myself for not being able to effectively communicate with my students.
Performing and composing were, for me, misguided ambitions. A false belief that I was somehow obligated to participate. As soon as I realized that my true talent was in teaching, my professional life became much easier. My belief that I was supposed to be something else was someone else's idea. "To thine own self be true" is still a pretty good motto. As if validation were necessary, several years ago at the conclusion of a student recital, one of the parents stood and praised me for being a great teacher. Then everyone stood and gave me an ovation.