You are here to give your gifts

It’s not a throw of the dice, or a mere coincidence that you were born with the talents and skills you have.

You might have accepted your gifts as being part of who you are. You’re right about this, but there’s more to look at here. Each of the talents you’ve opened up and developed has given to you in more ways than you might validate for yourself. Each has been a gift you chose to acknowledge, then to open up and use.

In order to use your gifts and abilities, you had to do some work. You had to study, practice, act, create, study more, express, show up, commit, believe in yourself, and break through your blocks and fears. Over and over again.

You may have been born with perfect pitch, great balance, a love of dance, an eye for color, a beautiful voice, a natural ability to lead, fearlessness, a great sense of humor, a healing touch, a way with words, or the ability to see deeply into the truth of a situation or person. Perhaps you’re a natural born humanitarian, gifted at communicating with animals, or possessing a green thumb. You can spin a mystical poem out of a moment in time, write lyrics that inspire great transformation, or always know the right words to say.

Your gifts might lie in your ability to inspire others to see themselves more clearly and love what they see. You may know how to cook beautiful food that brings happiness to all who eat it. Your skills may include having a deep reserve of faith and trust in yourself and your spirit.

The kind words you choose to say, the patience you exhibit, the forgiveness you muster up for those who’ve offended or hurt you, are all gifts you give. The peace you make with others, the smile you give the stranger on the street, are gifts that spread.

You came into this lifetime with more gifts than you’re able to see at first.

Even if you don’t understand why, you have a purpose for all of that stuff you brought along with you. What this means is that you have a responsibility to yourself, a responsibility to find your gifts, polish them up, and bring them out to share with the rest of us.

You don’t need any of us to approve of your choice of gifts. I may or may not get some of what you’re doing, but I also don’t have the right to tell you that you’re doing it wrong. It’s much easier to criticize than it is to dig deep and find the courage to show and share your gifts and talents.

It takes miles of courage to dig deep into our souls and bring out the rawness of those gifts.

What may have seemed effortless and simple when we were children at play, gets deadly serious when we become adults. And we begin to doubt our own talents, gifts, and even wonder if we have the right to call ourselves gifted. I mean, who are we to become this thing we want to be?

Maybe we tried to give our gifts when we were children, and others could not have them. They might have belittled or invalidated what we offered, and suddenly we couldn’t see the value of our own gifts, or of our own spirits. When we grow up, the hard work is to let those old wounds go, and decide to have what’s ours. If we allow someone else to decide whether or not our gift has value, and how much, we’ll develop a skewed idea about what our own value really is.

It’s hard work to bring out your inner resources, polish them up, and give them to everyone you meet.

Some people won’t want them, some will sneer, some will compete, and some will copy you. None of that is within your control, so don’t use it as an excuse to hide your gifts. If you’re judging the gifts you have, or if you’re afraid to take them out into the light of day, you won’t get to see them clearly. You’ll always be looking at them through a filter, and they may look dark and unfocused to you. If you’re afraid of your desire to create, you might try to hide your longings and abilities.

The funny thing is that when you reject the gifts you have, you might be more likely to judge, invalidate, criticize, and feel threatened by the way others are expressing theirs. If you know anyone who constantly judges others for sharing their creations, yet has nothing original to offer, that person is hiding his gifts. Worse, he is so afraid to develop and share the gifts he has that they are buried deep underneath a heavy layer of negativity and cynicism.

When you can validate your gifts, you can do this for others too.

For example, every time you’ve found the inner fortitude and longing to grow, stretch, take a chance, and reinvent yourself, you’ve given gifts to others. Whatever your spirit has for you, you can also give to others. Whatever you know about, it’s okay to share it. You aren’t expected to give it all away, but to grow it and develop it, to become even more of a gift than you already are right now.

How do you find your gifts? How do you know when the gifts you’re holding onto belong to you? It’s easy to do this, just listen to your spirit, to your heart. What are you drawn to do? What has color and meaning for you? What draws you toward it, like a beautiful magnet of energy? That’s the place to follow, to go, and to grow. Don’t get stuck in trying to make sense of it, or explaining it to anyone.

“It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” -Marianne Williamson

• ©Kris Cahill
  Image ‘Sun Star’ ©Prawny at Morguefile