How important is it to know your unique gifts? You can grow into your authentic self better. You can know yourself better. You can enjoy more fulfilment and meaning in embracing these special parts of yourself. They are part of what makes you YOU.
Of course there is another element to this. Because its not just about you my friend. Knowing and nurturing your unique gifts can lead to you being better able to serve others. To help others. Perhaps even by using your unique gifts to help others discover THEIR gifts.
The ripple effects of you doing this inner work could really be significant…….
Not to mention that if you have a truer sense of who you are, and how you can help people, it leads to and amplifies your own personal happiness! And who doesn’t want to cultivate more happiness?
So I’d like to share 5 Ways, or 5 Stepping Stones to get you closer to that discovery.
Are you with me? Let’s do this!
1.Time To Reflect on & Review Your Passions and Interests
It is really insightful when you allow yourself the space and time to reflect on what you’re truly passionate about. What do you like? What do you love? What lights you up? What is that fire in your heart? What activities make you lose track of time? Sometimes, it helps to ask the opposite question too : what do you dislike? What gets under you skin? What makes you think that you have to respond? Or do something about?
Sometimes its refreshing to take a step back and consider what you loved doing when you were younger. When you were a child? Do you have photographs of things you always seemed to prefer doing when you were a child? Really allow yourself to search the recesses of your mind and heart. I remember back when I had to decide on what to study at university. With my Dad giving strong support and encouragement to a Law degree and legal career, it was my first choice. But, I had a real interest in Psychology and positivity, and I loved creating things with my hands using paint, or coloured pencils or pastels, and designing spaces. And I enjoyed writing, doodling, sketching…. Hmmmm.
2.Paying Attention To The Feedback You Get From Others
It can be interesting to consider what those who know you say about your strengths. Or say about your character or your personality. Why not ask those around you what they believe are your strengths? Not everyone in your life is necessarily the right person to ask………..unfortunately some people just want to pull you down to join them in their preferred pit of miserable-living. Especially when you’re trying to do something to better yourself or improve yourself. So think carefully about who you ask. Those who know you and what you’re about. Those who want good things for you. Those who care.
It can also be quite unexpectedly revealing, when you listen carefully to the compliments or the positive feedback you receive from people in general. And not necessarily those in your inner circle. You might actually start to notice a pattern or some repetition in specific qualities in you that people appreciate enough to make a comment about. Make a note of it. Write it down. Pay more attention to what you hear. It may resonate with things you had already identified about yourself or that come up in #3 below. It may serve as corroboration about what you’re doing. It may be completely out of the blue. All good intel.
3. Identify Your Unique Skills & Talents
Okay my friend. Time to do some work. Make a list of all that skills that come naturally to you. Sure, it could relate to your job, or have nothing to do with it. It could relate to you as a person, as a parent, as a woman, as a man, in your dealings with people. Maybe you have an affinity for numbers. Maybe you can transform into the world’s best Santa Claus! Maybe its to do with your physicality, or maybe its to do with your mind. It may be an obscure skill. You may think its a more common skill. The point is, all of this is unique to you. And as there is only one you, and you only express yourself as you, then every skill you identify is valid and important. And don’t forget a talent you may have or a way of doing something which you have noticed about yourself.
Then go back to the passions and interests you considered at #1 above, and have fun seeing where there may be connections or where some of them align. You’re looking for patterns or combinations that catch your eye. And nothing is off limits. If you were in charge of creating new and different ice cream flavours, you wouldn’t hold back right? There is something for everyone!
4. Be on The Look-Out & Explore New Experiences
You are on a journey of adventure otherwise known as your life. You are constantly changing and your lived experience changes. Cultivate that openness mindset to try new activities which may help you uncover your hidden talents. Sometimes a flicker of an interest in something, even when you have no idea where it came from, can lead to something else entirely!
Remember that a gentle regular push against the temporary wall of the room known as your ‘comfort zone’, is part of your job description in your journey of adventure. Reminding yourself that this is the area of growth. And if we’re not growing, like all of nature, then we’re dying. You can do this.
5. Be Intentional & Practice Self-Reflection and Meditation
Some of the best ways to reconnect with yourself and get into your innermost heart and mind, include journalling and meditation. Blocking out the noise and distraction and just being with yourself and letting all your thoughts and feelings and observations just flow out on the page. Writing it out. This has helped me so much to get better connected with me . It would be great if this could help you too. You can direct your journalling exercise specifically on this area and look at the points we’ve discussed above. Bring all this into your journalling. Similarly with meditation. Some people prefer mindfulness. Having quiet time where your focus is purely on your breathing and a mantra and your eyes are closed. Even if its just for 10 minutes at a time. you may be surprised what insights come up to the surface afterwards. Remember to capture any insights on paper, to look over later.
Start to think about those times or moments in your life when you felt full of vitality and aliveness. When you felt most fulfilled. Ponder over them. Sit with them. These too can be invaluable in pointing out to you what you should be doing more of. What you should be leaning in to. Again, look out for any patterns that may pop up.
These exercises are precious and may really surprise you.
I look forward to hearing how you get on.
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