Discipline Refines Your Talents

 "Discipline is the refining fire by which talent becomes ability." 

-- Roy L. Smith

When you refine something, you make it better or purer by removing impurities. In this case, discipline is what refines your talent and turns it into actual ability.

Think of it like this: let's say you have a talent for playing the piano. You might be able to play some simple songs pretty well, but if you want to become truly great at playing the piano, you need to put in a lot of hard work and practice. That's where discipline comes in.

With discipline, you can commit to a regular practice schedule and push yourself to improve even when you don't feel like it. By doing this, you slowly but surely refine your natural talent and turn it into true ability. This is what sets apart the truly great musicians, athletes, artists, and other talented people from those who just have raw talent but never do anything with it.

Another example might be someone who has a talent for writing. They might be naturally good at putting words together and creating compelling stories, but if they don't have the discipline to sit down and actually write, they'll never be able to turn that talent into a successful career as a writer.

So, to sum it up: the quote is saying that discipline is what takes your natural talent and turns it into something truly great. It's the hard work and dedication that separates the truly successful people from those who never reach their full potential.