“The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without the work.”
– French novelist, playwright and journalist
“If you could stand before the maker and say one thing, what would it be?”
“Assuming there is a maker,” I said, “I would probably say thank you.”
“Not me,” said my buddy. “I would ask, ‘Why was I cheated?’”
Over coffee with a friend, I learned that he was feeling depressed and out of sorts. Another birthday had come and gone, and with it, little hope for my friend of a reprieve from the daily grind. His work life had consisted of a series of low-paying, menial jobs, leaving little opportunity to set aside money for retirement or even simple luxuries. He lamented about the “fact” that he had been born without talent.
I told him I disagreed entirely – that I thought he had an abundance of talent in many areas: writing, sketching and working with his hands. He just shrugged. I told him he needed to stop comparing himself to others. What I wanted to say was, “You’ve dismissed your talent.”
Is there a key to thriving rather than surviving – living a life that’s happy, fulfilling and abundant? I’ve had people tell me it’s a natural consequence of recognizing and utilizing our inherent talents and then working to develop those endowments with both passion and purpose.
Sounds like a plan, but what if you don’t know where your talent lies or feel your gifts are too inconsequential to compete effectively with others? I once knew a young lady who had tremendous talent as a vocalist. So much so that she won a music scholarship to a large university. Upon arriving there, however, she became utterly intimidated by the skill of the other students and eventually changed her major. She even stopped performing in her local church choir.
If you’d like some help to discover your natural talents, start thinking about what you receive the most comments or compliments for. You might be unaware of your gifts but, chances are, others recognize them. Take a few minutes and write down all the things that you’re good at. Capture whatever comes to mind. First responses are often the best because once your inner critic is awakened, he or she will begin to analyze, criticize and encourage you to disregard much of what’s on your list. Journey mentally back to your childhood and try to remember your dreams and aspirations and write those down too. Ask yourself, “If money or status were not an issue, what would I be doing now?” The answer may surprise you.
Maybe the work you do is directly related to your gifts. If not, maybe with a little creativity, you can find ways to integrate your gifts with your existing work. Perhaps you can pursue your talents outside of your full-time job and develop a fun and profitable hobby. I was writing for fun and relaxation long before it ever became my profession. Of course, the better your self-esteem, the less fearful you’ll be and the more in tune with your natural gifts and talents.
“You are unique,” wrote Roy T. Bennett, American best-selling author. “You have different talents and abilities. You don’t have to always follow in the footsteps of others. And, most important, you should always remind yourself that you don’t have to do what everyone else is doing and have a responsibility to develop the talents you have been given.”
As for my friend, I think there was some confusion between talent and courage. Talent is a gift – a natural endowment at birth. Courage is what we acquire by using our talent and building upon it. By acknowledging our talents and developing them, we can become skilled and, in doing so, grow and evolve into the courageous, confident people we were meant to be.