I am one of those strange souls who believes if something keeps coming up or you are reminded of a certain word or theme or whatever - then it is some sort of "sign."
I choose to believe it is a sign of God - you may believe it is the "universe" sending you a message - whatever, I try to figure out what it is I am supposed to be doing, or actually take a moment and make note of it.
Talents - and gifts. The theme keeps coming back. It started at Faith Chapel (visiting the egyptian's friend's church.) Then the next week I ended up at my catholic mass at Prince of Peace Catholic Church - and Father was talking about our gifts/talents. Then I have sat with friends as they discussed their "talents" and what they wanted to do with them. THEN I go to my work conference and they decided to do a whole meeting on "Strength Finders." Then my father discusses what his "talents" are and what he can do now that he is retirement.
Last night was the final hint - the egyptian was discussing how he finally decided what to do with his life. LIke 100% - and I saw the enthusiasm. I think the trip away, spending time my family and just reevaluating life worked its magic! He has identified his gift and wants to use it.
That brings me - to well.. me. My gifts. My talents. *sigh* What are they??? What am I supposed to be doing? I am not necessarily talking about work - I mean in general.
In the strength finder test we took at work, I discovered that
Input
Connectedness
Activator
Context
Intellection are my "strengths." The test gave some advice on what I should and should not do.
My strongest strength was Input - here are some words of advice they gave me:
-Look for jobs in which you are charged with acquiring new information each day, such as teaching, research, or journalism.
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-Remember that you must be more than just a collector of information. At some point, you’ll need to leverage this knowledge and turn it into action. Make a point of identifying the facts and data that would be most valuable to others, and use this information to their advantage.
-Identify situations in which you can share the information you have collected with other people. Also make sure to let your friends and colleagues know that you enjoy answering their questions.
Connectedness:
-Consider roles in which you listen and counsel. You can become adept at helping other people see connection and purpose in everyday occurrences.
-Within your organization, help your colleagues understand how their efforts fit in the larger picture. You can be a leader in building teams and helping people feel important.
-Help people see the connections among their talents, their actions, their mission, and their successes. When people believe in what they are doing and feel like they are part of something bigger, commitment to achievement is enhanced.
-Your philosophy of life compels you to move beyond your own self-interests and the interests of your immediate constituency and sphere of influence. As such, you see the broader implications for your community and the world. Explore ways to communicate these insights to others.
- Connectedness talents can help you look past the outer shell of a person to embrace his or her humanity. Be particularly aware of this when you work with someone whose background is very different from yours. You can naturally look past the labels and focus on his or her essential needs.
Activator:
-Seek work in which you can make your own decisions and act on them. In particular, look for start-up or turnaround situations.
-You learn more from real experience than from theoretical discussions. To grow, consciously expose yourself to challenging experiences that will test your talents, skills, and knowledge.
-You possess an ability to create motion and momentum in others. Be strategic and wise in the use of your Activator talents. When is the best time, where is the best place, and who are the best people with whom to leverage your valuable influence?
Context:
-Accept change. Remember that your Context talents do not require you to “live in the past.” Instead, you can actually become known as an active agent for positive change. Your natural sense of context should allow you to identify more clearly than most the aspects of the past that can be discarded and those that must be retained to build a sustainable future.
-Read historical novels, non-fiction, or biographies. You will discover many insights that will help you understand the present. You will think more clearly.
Intellection:
- Consider beginning or continuing your studies in philosophy, literature, or psychology. You will always enjoy subjects that stimulate your thinking.
- List your ideas in a log or diary. These ideas will serve as grist for your mental mill, and they might yield valuable insights.
- People may think you are aloof or disengaged when you close your door or spend time alone. Help them understand that this is simply a reflection of your thinking style, and that it results not from a disregard for relationships, but from a desire to bring the most you can to those relationships
- Engaging people in intellectual and philosophical debate is one way that you make sense of things. This is not the case for everyone. Be sure to channel your provocative questions to those who similarly enjoy the give and take of debate.
- Schedule time for thinking; it can be energizing for you. Use these occasions to muse and reflect.
-Take time to write. Writing might be the best way for you to crystallize and integrate your thoughts.
-Find people who like to talk about the same issues you do. Organize a discussion group that addresses your subjects of interest.
-Encourage people around you to use their full intellectual capital by reframing questions for them and by engaging them in dialogue. At the same time, realize that there will be some who find this intimidating and who need time to reflect before being put on the spot.
Then I thought what do I enjoy:
- Photography
- Writing
- Traveling
-Talking/discussing issues
- Philosophy
- Literature
- World Religions
- Spirituality
- Food/Coffe.. etc
- Interior design
- Fashion
- Skincare/Make up
- Books
- Music
- Theater
-Dance
- Nature
- Human Rights
- Animal Rights
I could go on and on...
What about you? What are your strengths? Have you ever been formally instructed what your gifts were? What would you do? What should I work on?
Ohh.. questions.. questions..
2 comments:
Yes, I have taken in recent months a couple of personality/gifting evaluations. And they all come down to this: I am a behind-the-scenes support person with the gift of hospitality. Not glamorous, but I guess someone's gotta be that person. I was disappointed at first, but I've come to accept it lately. I won't ever be a leader, but that's ok.
I have never taken one of these "work" related gift tests; thought that does sound way interesting. I have taken a spiritual gifts test at church, and my gift was wisdom. Among others, though that was the one I remember. Sometimes when I write I think about that test result.
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