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Your Gifts Are Not Your Own


I want to spend a little time on giftedness, on the remarkable God-given talents and abilities uniquely bestowed on an individual. I think there are two common misconceptions on this topic, one largely being connected to the other.

The first fallacy is to believe an exceptional aptitude or talent is a gift for the individual possessing it. If I believe my giftedness is bestowed on me for my benefit it disrupts my entire perspective on how it is to be deployed. If my talent is intended solely to make me happy, make me powerful and bring me wealth, I will make very different decisions in wielding it than if I understand my gifts are for the benefit of others. When an individual is blessed with a uniquely exceptional attribute, she must understand that gift is to be developed and honed so it can be received by that person's family, community and the world around her. It is no longer hers; she is a steward of that gift and is responsible to make sure it is cultivated and delivered to society.

The second misunderstanding is related to the first and is tied to the very nature of gift. A gift, in its truest sense, is obtained at no cost to the recipient. If you believe your remarkable attributes are a present for you, then it's easy to assume it should be received with ease, with very little risk or cost. You shouldn't have to sacrifice.

This simply isn't the case. As I've already mentioned, the gift isn't yours to keep, you are a conduit, a curator, and ultimately a steward. This means you are not exempt from paying the price to see those talents developed and delivered. And it must be both, developed and delivered.

All too often I see people under the misconception that if they have a natural giftedness towards a task or type of work, that area of development should come easily. They should be able to grow in that space with little effort, risk or discomfort. It should be convenient. As I have been blessed to know and study some exceptionally talented people who have shipped out their gifts at a high level, I can tell you for a fact that simply isn't the case.

Talent is a small seed of potential and it must be watered and nurtured daily. The ground around it must be tilled and softened; the weeds of doubt, pride and selfishness must be tirelessly and continuously removed from the soil. We must fertilize it with optimism, dedication and determination. Only then will that small seed grow into the tree for which it is designed and produce the fruit we are to give to our tribe around us. It's a slow, arduous process often fraught with blood, sweat and tears - only then can we make the impact for which we were placed on this planet. If a farmer only produces enough of a crop for himself, the town around him starves.

Effort beats talent all day long but when the former is applied to the latter, ah, that is when the magic happens. Cultivate the seeds you were given - your community, this world -  needs your fruit.

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