“Talent, it seems is energy waiting to be released in an honest environment in life.”   Mark Nepo said that.

Our unique capacities and talents reside deep in our core, within our centered self.  They may be latent or active, depending on what we are creating in life at the moment, but they are there.  It’s up to us to use and develop them.

Our talents are like paints waiting for a brush on a palette.  We choose the different paint colors given to us to create the artwork of our life.

The question is, how do you know what your talents and capacities are?  We don’t really know the capacity of something until we test and use it.   Consider these questions:

What do people compliment you on?  

What do you do with your free time?  

What are you naturally drawn to listen and learn about? People, animals, building things?  

Do you like being a caregiver or would you rather freelance and are more of a rebel? 

Are you more of an adventurer, learner, truth seeker, leader, follower, guide for others?  

Make a list of the things you love and the things you don’t. 

Add to it the things people have told you are your strengths over the years.  

Remember to write down any compliments you have received.   

Then, review your list and look for themes. See if you can identify roles you are naturally drawn to fill.

Once you have some ideas of things you’d like to do, do them.  Silence your screens and for an hour or so do something from your list.  If an hour seems too long, how about 15 minutes.  It’s just important to begin.

Start small.  If you like to create, try some printer paper and pencil to draw with, or, for less than $3 you can buy modeling clay. Perhaps it’s a relationship you want to create or service to give. Maybe you’d enjoy creating a vision board of the things on your list, and reflecting on your talents in a visual way.

Your talent is waiting to be released in an honest environment of life. The simple act of trying and doing will invigorate and build the momentum of your gift.  Our Creator loves effort.  

What will you create today? Which of your myriad gifts and talents will you use? Trust me, they’re in there, patiently waiting to be released in your honest environment of life.  Go make someone’s world better with them.

Beth