The first essay that I ever wrote was my senior year in high school. I had the toughest English teacher in the school and I so badly wanted to get an A in his class. One day toward the end of the school year, he offered extra credit to anyone who wrote an essay for a contest that the American Legion was sponsoring. It was my opportunity to gain some extra points in the class. I wrote the essay and I won the contest! Little did I know that my quest for an A would also unleash a desire to pen the written word!
When my kids got a little older and were all in school, the writing bug surfaced again. I found a teacher who would travel to my home weekly and teach a class if I had at least 10 participants. I found 9 ladies who were also interested in improving their writing skills.
Each week we met and shared our work. Again, our teacher encouraged us to enter contests. I did and I placed in almost every contest that I entered.
I was enjoying my new found talent, it brought the joy of creation into my life. Then one day, my world came crashing in around me when I was told by a close family member that since I had started writing I thought that I was better than everyone. During this time period of my life, I was very insecure and what others thought of me had a huge impact. That day, I stopped writing. I buried my talent.
We all have talents that are unique to us. We each have the power to make our lives extraordinary and fulfilling when we use those talents. It’s your responsibility to find and use your talents. There are many types of talents, we each of us have been blessed with our own uniqueness.
So, how do you find your talents if you aren’t sure what they are? Here are some things to consider.
What Do You Love?: What brings you joy or happiness? What do you get compliments on? What do you enjoy doing? These things can all be clues to your talents.
Be Open to Possibility: Talents come in all shapes and sizes. Be willing to open your mind to look outside the box for hidden talents. Take a step outside of your comfort zone and try something new. You never know if you might be good at something until you give it a try.
Look to Your Past: What have you done in the past that you enjoyed or were good at? What did you excel at? What accomplishments are you proud of? What did you enjoy doing as a kid? What made you happy? What were you successful at?
Ask Others: Sometimes it’s easier for others to see our talents. Ask a friend or family member what they think you are good at. What stands out to them.
When you find your talents, you have to believe in yourself. You have to believe that your talents can make a difference. It has to begin with you. You have to take charge of the talents that you have been blessed with.
I became a victim when I allowed the words of another to wound my soul. I buried my talent because I wasn’t strong enough to stand in my truth.
It wasn’t until I shifted from victim mode that things began to change.
Two years ago, when I was on an early morning walk, a question surfaced in my mind. “When are you going to stop hiding your talents?” “What?’ I replied. “It’s time for you to start writing again!” came the answer. I took a long, slow, deep breath. It was time to get a grip on the past, overcome my hurt and get past the self-imposed limits that I had allowed to be placed on myself. It was time to move from victim mode to warrior mode. I had to take back and control my future and stop allowing someone else to dictate it. I chose to stand in my power and reclaim my talent.
That week, I began to write again for the first time in 30 years. I activated my buried talent. The desire and passion once again rose from the depths of my soul and I embraced.
This blog became my outlet. A place to share the written word. Hopefully the ideas and tools that I share with you each week have assisted you in some way. My intention is to cause you to ponder, reflect and see areas where you could, just maybe, implement a change for the better in your life.
I would like to invite you to find your talents if you don’t know what they are. Embrace them. Enjoy them. Use them to serve yourself and others. You won’t regret it.
Rising Sun Consulting 