Remember when we were kids and we were more than willing to help out and show how grownup we were? In all honesty, we rarely had the power we thought we had and ended up getting flour all over the place or dropping the baby/dog/cake/Ming Vase on the floor.

We had the desire to be something greater but the rest of the world didn’t give us the credit we thought we were due, so we went out or our way to show them who we were. But the irony is that we were showing them a person we weren’t.

Many grew out of that stage, but some still feel like the world is ignoring their strength and potential and the only way to receive recognition is to demand it. No, we don’t run up to the bookstore cashier and say, “Let me scan it,” and then pout when they call security.

We do things like interrupt people to show that we can relate to them, boss people around to prove we’re worthy of the night manager position or write a 12-page paper to prove to the teacher that we are the smartest one in class when we only needed to write five. Some of us go far out of our way to prove to the world who we are. But a C+ or and A- doesn’t change our IQ, the ability to command has no bearing on our ability to lead and making people irritated takes away the chance to relate to them.

If you have to go out of your to show people what you’re made of, something’s wrong. An apple is red without trying, a light bulb doesn’t need to shout to let people know it’s on and JRR Tolkien is the best storyteller of all time, even though his first few books were terrible. If you have an attribute or aptitude, people can recognize it without your telling them it’s there. If you shove it their face, they won’t care what it is or who you are, you will just be an annoyance they want to get rid of. And don’t expect your talents to immediately shoot you to the top, because they require refining. When the time is right, and we are right, our strengths will be put to good use and we will prove ourselves simply by being instead of trying to be.

If you are entertaining ideas of a big job and lots of success after you gradate, great. The world needs more people with ambition who are willing to take initiative. But don’t try and act bigger than you really are. The world needs less people proclaiming how great they are with nothing to back it up.