The gifts we are born with and those gifts that we work to develop throughout our lives vary in form and function. Some we find a use for every day while others are only useful in specific occurrences.
Yet many times, we overlook opportunities to share our unique gifts with others. It may be fear of criticism that holds us back or the paralyzing weight of uncertainty. Ultimately, we doubt that our inborn talents and practiced skills can truly add value to others’ lives. But it is the world as a whole that benefits when we willingly share our gifts. Whether you have been blessed with the ability to awaken beautiful emotions in others through art or industry, or your aptitudes transmit more practical advantages, your gifts are a part of who you are. As you make use of those gifts as best, you can be assured that your contribution to worldly well-being will not be overlooked.
Your personal power is defined in part by your gifts. To use your talents is to demonstrate to the world that you understand yourself and are truly attuned to your capabilities. Your earthly existence provides you with an enormous opportunity to explore your purpose, to use your skills in a life-affirming way, and to positively touch the lives of others. Yet you may feel that your gifts are not as valuable or worthy of attention as those of others and thus hide them away.
However, every gift lying dormant in your soul has the potential to fill a void in someone else’s life. Just as your existence is made more vibrant by the love, support, friendship, aid, and compassion of others, so, too, can you add richness to their lives. Your natural ability to soothe hurt, inspire empathy, bake, write, dance, knit, organize, or think outside the box can be a blessing to someone in need.
As you embrace your gifts and allow their light to shine, you will discover that more and more opportunities to make use of them arise. This is because your contributions are a channel through which the universe operates. By only doing what you are good at and also love to do, you make a positive difference. The recognition you receive for your efforts will pale in comparison to the satisfaction you feel when fulfilling your innate potential.
It was with that attitude that I spent many years working on my website. I know I have a gift for teaching, explaining, and sharing what I’ve learned about life, love, and writing. Between my blog posts and my website, I frequently receive notes from other writers saying something I created is saving their story. Love that!
Yes, having a website is a lot of work and takes a lot of time, but I have meant to create my website for a while, and finally, I created AligningWithin.com. At first, I didn’t understand the lingo, but with determination and the will to learn, I have followed the elements of a fantastic website.
I discovered my gift of words, the usage of expression, and the volume of experience all by writing and illustrating on a magical pen. Because of the nature of my gifts, I chose to use my website to give that benefit to others.
But everyone has different abilities, and we each have to decide how we can best share those with others. Some of us will focus on our stories. Maybe we write fantastically inspirational stories that give people hope or let them know they’re not alone. Some of us have additional gifts outside of writing, and we might share our passions in other areas.
The important thing is recognizing that our talents, skills, and abilities don’t do any good if we keeping them for ourselves. But if we treat them as a gift, we should be giving to others, and find new ways to connect with others and help them in their life. And that’s the kind of gift that’s better to give than receive. *And given with a smile.*