Welcome to the Daily Quote – I'm Andrew McGivern.
This episode is brought to you by the Great News podcast.
Today's quote comes from Morgan Freeman, the legendary actor whose career spans over five decades of excellence.
He said:
”You can't take credit for talent; you can only take credit for using it.”
You can't take credit for talent. You were born with it. Or you developed it early. But it was given to you.
The credit – the thing you can actually own – is what you do with it.
Morgan Freeman didn't choose to have that voice. That presence. That natural ability to embody characters. That was talent. A gift.
But he chose to use it. He chose to audition. To study. To take small roles. To keep working when others quit. To refine his craft for decades.
The talent was free. The using it? That was all him.
And here's what makes this so important: lots of people have talent. Probably more than you think. Maybe you have it too.
But talent without use is worthless. It's potential that stays potential. It's a gift that never gets unwrapped.
You don't get credit for potential. You get credit for action. For showing up. For doing the work. For using what you've been given.
Think about all the talented people who never became anything. All the gifted musicians who never made music. The natural athletes who never competed. The brilliant minds who never created.
They had talent. But they didn't use it. So the talent doesn't matter.
Freeman is reminding us: don't mistake having talent for deserving success. Talent is just the starting point. What you do with it is what counts.
And here's the liberating part: even if you don't have natural talent, you can still take credit for the work. For the effort. For showing up and using whatever you have.
Because using what you have – talent or not – is always worth more than wasting what you were given.
So here's the question: What talent or ability do you have that you're not using? And what would happen if you actually put it to work?
Because you can't take credit for having it. But you can take full credit for using it.
Start using it. That's where the credit lives.
That's it for today. I'm Andrew McGivern – I'll see you in the next one with another Daily Quote.
