I got the idea for this post after reading our church bulletin last week. The ministry called Feed the Need was looking for additional volunteers. This ministry prepares meals for families who need a little help with cooking. In their request for volunteers, they specifically called out the gifts they needed.
- Gift of cooking nourishing meals,
- Gift of good organizational skills,
- Gift of good listening to understand the needs of the families being served,
- Gift of liking to talk on the phone, and
- Gift of coordination of information.
Does this list surprise you? Do you typically think of cooking, organization, or talking on the phone as a gift? Do you have some of these gifts?
I believe we often think of gifted people as the ones in the spotlight – artists, musicians, dancers, athletes, scientists, or doctors? And we should. These are certainly very gifted people. But there are so many gifts that too often get overlooked. Even by ourselves. Besides the gifts above, what about person who visits individuals in prison or in nursing homes, or the person who encourages, or the one who mentors others? What about the parent who with great patience reads to their child at the end of a long day at work? Or the volunteer whose gift of enthusiasm adds life to the work they do?
I an on a mission to help others celebrate their gifts. Whatever they are – large or small. You see when I was 10 years old, I stopped believing in my gifts. I realized that I was being compared to my older brother and that it was not about my doing my best that mattered. It was about my doing better than my brother. And the only way I thought I could prove I was better was to beat him at the things he was good at. What a crazy decision. I put my gifts on hold in favor of trying to excel at being “Geoff-like.” I also began years of letting opportunities pass me by because I was afraid I would make a mistake.
Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever put your dreams on hold or pushed them aside because you wanted to play it safe? It left me with a longing for more. What about you?
In the last ten years, I’ve emerged as the strong woman I am today. I’ve discovered my “Sally-ness” and spend my days sharing my unique gifts those around me. I love the energy I feel and the passion for just being me that I experience every day.
You have an essential “is-ness” too. It’s who you are at your very core. It is the combination of your core values, unique gifts, life experiences, passions, and strengths. Have you found it? Would you like to? Say Yes 2 Your Life today! Email me at sally@stretch4success.com and I will send you a free copy of my upcoming new book, Say Yes 2 Your Life: Journey to Celebrate Your “is-ness.”
There is a joy in using your gifts to help someone. Discover your “is-ness” and share all that is authentically you with those around you.
Connect with me on Facebook (Stretch 4 Success) or LinkedIn. I would like to hear about your journey to celebrating your “is-ness.”