Preparing & Making Use of Your Gifts and Talents
Everyone has a gift or talent that sets them apart from others. There are people who can put pen to paper and write beautiful stories, letters, and songs. Some can take a piece of paper, doodle on it and draw a beautiful picture. Have you ever been outside and have someone jog past you who seems to be floating on air? Their movement is effortless, they are not out of breath, they look as if they could do this all day long, and they simply make it look so easy. These are all gifts these people have been blessed with.
What is your gift and are you making good use of it?
1. Identify your talents. Ask close family and friends what they see as your gifts. Is there one that comes naturally or one you are wanting to hone in on and further develop?
2. Keep your mind and eyes open for opportunities to use your gift. Ask for guidance if you are unsure how to yourself.
3. Work on mastering your gift. Create time every week to practice. Spend time dedicated to refining the talent that you are focusing on.
4. Share your gift with your family, friends, and coworkers. Brainstorm opportunities where you can share your gift. Think of ways to bless others with it.
5. Connect with people who share your passion. Join clubs or teams if possible. Sharing your talent with others helps you to grow and hone your skills. Push each other to get better, be better and share your gift.
6. Who is someone you know who is great at the same talent? Might you be able to shadow them?
7. Are there educational tools to help in your development? Books, videos, articles, etc. Maybe a training or seminar.
8. What kind of an environment would help you to grow in your talent? A good environment can be a place where people of similar interest hang out or work.
9. Practice, practice, practice. Nothing beats experience, trial and error. You need opportunities to try, fail, learn from your mistakes and grow.
10. Ask for honest, helpful feedback and evaluation.
