For years, I worked office jobs. The position descriptions changed, but not my lack of fulfillment. I rarely left home eager to get started and I was nearly always watching the clock for the exact moment when I could leave my dreaded cubicle.
I knew there had to be more to life than suffering through jobs to which I didn’t feel connected, just to pay my bills. So I attended a variety of workshops, seminars, and religious services looking for an answer. Insatiably, I read books, watched movies and attended lectures, hoping somehow to get to the bottom of it. While I found that everyone’s answer was a bit different, a common thread emerged: share your gifts.
We are all born with unique talents. You may be good at writing, talking to people, persuasion, singing, drawing, constructing complex structures – you name it. I have always been good at having conversations with people and helping them see their lives in a different light. I’ve always had this gift, but didn’t think it was particularly valuable, It was just something my friends would let me know they appreciated about me. To somehow make a career of doing this was a dream – a dream I didn’t dare to dream, because I didn’t know how it could translate into a job that could sustain me financially.
The first step for me was to acknowledge the value of my talent. I didn’t believe it was worthwhile enough to consider a practice of offering it to others. The second step was to practice enough self-love to allow myself to make such a change, to heed my yearnings. Who was I to follow my dreams? Who was I to upset the financial stability of my family to take such a leap? What I found was that when I did take the leap, nothing crumbled. I was constantly supported, because the Universe conspires to allow us to live our dreams.
We are all given our talents and the ability to make this world a better place, and no one benefits from us living our lives like pots that only simmer on a low flame. We feel frustrated and pass that frustration on to the others around us. We contribute most when we share our gifts, because that is when we feel alive and will go the extra mile to create something extraordinary.
So today, I invite you to sit in silence for a moment and truly listen to yourself as you consider what the activities are that give you most joy. Once you have identified what they are, in a daily meditation of about 3-5 minutes, visualize yourself engaging in them and sharing them with others. Feel the joy you experience while doing this and over time, you will attract more of this into your life. Now turn up the flame on your unique gifts and share the warmth of you working with a passion.
If you would like help with clarifying your purpose or how to transform your life to integrate your gifts, contact me at info@empoweredls.com
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