Don't Waste It

talent |ˈtalənt|noun1 natural aptitude or skill : he possesses more talent than any other player | shedisplayed a talent for garden design.• people possessing such aptitude or skill
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I've been thinking a lot lately about talent -  God given, raw talent. I think 90% of the time when we talk about talent, people automatically start to think of those that are musically or artistically gifted, but it is so much more. Which led me to my next thought, why do we so often sell ourselves short? Why do we dismiss what we are gifted at? Is it that we are in fear of being full of ourselves, or is it simply that we do not see our gifts as, "enough". 
Why do we question ourselves? What is it about our "talent" that we are so scared or ashamed of to share? There are people with talents very different from mine, and I so appreciate that, parts of life and even my work are effected by their gifting. And even as I write that I feel in a sense that I am cutting down or under playing my own God given talents, whatever they may be.
Why are you wasting your talent? Some where someone is need of your talent. It doesn't matter that other people might have the same type of talent - There is something in you that sets you apart from all of the others. I recognize that I am saying this as much to myself as I am to anyone that's reading this.
So my challenge to you today - Don't waste your talent. Find a way this week to exercise that very thing you have been gifted with. And if you feel like you don't know what your talent is, take some time over the next couple of days, weeks, even months to figure out what you are gifted at, what you are passionate about, and then pursue it.

Saving this as something else

Erma Bombeck is quoted saying"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope I would not have a single bit of talent left, and I could say, "I used everything you gave me".

I have that quote at the end of all my emails. But today I find myself asking this question, "Am I truly using all of the talent that God has given me?" To be honest I find that I am not. While I have things that I am good at, I am truly living up to my full potential? Am I doing the things that I am gifted to do, or am I simply doing the things that require the least of me?

My dreams are big & my talents are many. I don't say that in a boastful way - we all are gifted and talented in so many ways. But what good is it if we are not actively using those talents?

My challenge to myself and to you is this, find the things that require your talent. That doesn't necessarily mean your job. It can be a variety of things in life. But whatever you talent is, find it, use it. I imagine that it is a liberating and and satisfying feeling.

I'd be interested to hear what your talents are and how you are using them. (That just felt like a very Oprah like sentence, but I'm going to embrace it)

Happy Adventures!