The World Needs Your Talents!

We have all heard the maxim "knowledge is power" and most if not all of us have heard the words penned by Aristotle so many moons ago written above. Hence, if knowledge is power does it not make sense to begin with a personal inventory of who you are? You are gifted and talented. The world needs what you have to offer.

Call it what you will a self-awakening, self-reflection, an internal deep dive, becoming self-ware, but I know you will find extreme value in just looking within. What makes you tick? What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? What motivates you? What is your passion? What is your dream? What gets you up in the morning? What are your values? What is your vision? What is your personal mission statement?

That's right, it sounds like work, because it is work. It may take you a few hours or a few quiet time sessions for your to work through the process of knowing yourself, but what your investment produces is well worth it. The great news is the value that comes with taking some time for yourself to analyze yourself produces a significant mental health benefit that you will experience when your passion and values align with your gifts and talents. But, it is more than that. Not only will you benefit from this exercise, but the world will benefit as well. You are very talented. Your talents are needed, but all too often talents and gits go undiscovered.

So how do you begin, first and foremost just dedicate some quiet time to reflect upon who you are. My recommendation is you select one of several personality or strengths finding tools available either on-line or at the bookstore. I prefer the following two helpful self-dive resources: "Personality Plus" by Florence Littauer and "Strengthsfinder 2.0" from Gallup and Tom Rath. Both of these resources are phenomenal. You will learn a lot about yourself and that is a great place to start.

Once you dig in, take some time to consider and write down your personal values. Once you identify those, write out your personal mission statement. The great thing is your personal mission statement, if you are being true to yourself, is easy to accomplish on a daily basis, because it is what is naturally flowing through you. Keep in mind, just like in business, your personal mission statement needs to be short and to the point. It does not need to fill up a sheet of paper. Mine is simple and reflective of who I am: "Encourage others always!" Yep, that's it. Don't let the thought of writing a personal mission statement intimidate you. Have fun with it! Make it yours! Because it is yours.

I am excited for you. You are taking your first steps toward self awareness, but I might even call it self-alignment. When you are aligned with yourself, you are using and operating in your strengths. You are also sharing your talents with the world. You have so much to give, and you know we really need what you have to give. Where you are strong, others are weak. It is symbiotic. The world needs your talents, please take some time to discover them, then polish them, and share them with the world.

Stay blessed and Keep shining!