Sometimes people ask me, "How do you know all of this [computer knowledge, technical skill]?", "You must have some sort of natural talent..."

Truthfully, no, not really.  I am no more talented and capable and anyone else.  My method is to know that I don't know everything but strive to expand my knowledge through challenges and practice.  That through persistence a solution can always be found.

The Scientific American article, "The Expert Mind", hits the nail on the head.  It talks about studies of expertise in chess and how it applies to life...

"A man walks along the inside of a circle of chess tables, glancing at each for two or three seconds before making his move. On the outer rim, dozens of amateurs sit pondering their replies until he completes the circuit. The year is 1909, the man is José Raúl Capablanca of Cuba, and the result is a whitewash: 28 wins in as many games. The exhibition was part of a tour in which Capablanca won 168 games in a row.

...

Even the novice engages in effortful study at first, which is why beginners so often improve rapidly in playing golf, say, or in driving a car. But having reached an acceptable performance--for instance, keeping up with one's golf buddies or passing a driver's exam--most people relax. Their performance then becomes automatic and therefore impervious to further improvement. In contrast, experts-in-training keep the lid of their mind's box open all the time, so that they can inspect, criticize and augment its contents and thereby approach the standard set by leaders in their fields.

...

... motivation appears to be a more important factor than innate ability in the development of expertise. It is no accident that in music, chess and sports--all domains in which expertise is defined by competitive performance rather than academic credentialing--professionalism has been emerging at ever younger ages, under the ministrations of increasingly dedicated parents and even extended families."

The article is 6 pages long and an excellent read, filled with inspiration through the studies and a insight to the inner workings of some of the greatest minds and their methods.  It is an excellent opportunity to take a break from work and dedicate some time to focus, read and reflect on the subject.

To summarize this best may be a quote from the T.V. show Grey's Anatomy by the character Preston Burke speaking of his idol, an accomplished violinist, "He said, that he wasn't the most talented student at music school but he said, what he lacked in natural ability he made up in discipline... he practiced... all the time, he practiced."