Your Special Gift

 

I am sometimes amazed by how many people believe they do not have talent. I think the problem is how we define talent. It is not just musical ability, or the arts or a skill. Skills can be learned, but talent is inborn. We all can do something better than others. You may not see it as a talent, but it is.

Leadership expert Dr. John C. Maxwell put it this way: “People have equal value, but not equal giftedness. Some people seem to be blessed with a multitude of talents. Most of us have fewer abilities. But know this: all of us have something that we can do well.” What is even more important is for you to understand that the rest of the world needs your talents. God did not place you here to fill a space; you have work to do that is part of His great plan for humankind.

“The giftedness is usually greater than the person.”

Fred Smith

CEO FedX

 

Success-minded people come to understand two critical realities. One is that they have a gift, a talent to give. Two is that others are also talented and have value. I like how Coach John Wooden put it: “Talent is God-given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.” You should use and celebrate your talents, but do not think you are the end-all in giftedness.

Success-minded people also must understand that talent alone is not enough. You have to be able to use your talents to add value to others, not just to impress yourself. The person who is hugely talented and does nothing is an old story. Many failures in life have been highly gifted people. You must use your talents, develop them, and improve them to succeed.

Mary Kay Ash, the founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, saw the need for women to develop their talents. She knew that every person had talent, and all they needed was the avenue to build on that. She also knew that talent was not enough for success; you had to do something about it. She said, “Those who are blessed with the most talent don’t necessarily outperform everyone else. It’s the people with follow-through who excel.”

As a success-minded person, you need to identify your talents. Do not look at what you cannot do; look at what you do well. Once you find that, you build on it. Don’t under-estimate yourself or your abilities. Do not limit how you define talent. Even the great Albert Einstein understood this when he said, “I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.”

You can learn more about Personal Development from author and speaker, John Patrick Hickey. To get his books, training material, or book him to speak to your church, business, or group, visit our website at www.johnpatrickhickey.com.   

© 2020 John Patrick Hickey. No part of this may be reprinted or published without the permission of the author.