Explore Inner Gifts

If you knew your inner gifts, would you live your life differently? Would you make career choices based on your gifts at a spiritual level? Most of us choose our careers based on opportunities that just kind-of 'fall’ into our paths?

What would you do different if you knew the path you were on, missed the mark of your greatest strengths. Maybe the job you're doing works perfectly fine for you. I worked in a tax office as a front end office manager. For the most part, the job worked for me and my family. It helped pay the bills and gave me something productive to do when my kids were in school. The parts of it that I enjoyed most were the ones where I got to write emails to clients and to converse in person with them when they came into our office. At the time, I had no idea why I enjoyed these moments so much. In return for my daily efforts, I received a small salary. Not nearly enough to fully relieve us of our debt. While participating in this ‘autopilot’ lifestyle, I was encouraging myself to feel grateful for what little I was receiving. I never once considered that there could be more.

Meanwhile, I held onto a dream of writing. I wasn’t sure if I would write novels, articles or personal journals. The shelves in my house overflowed with books on how-to write. I studied them and joined various writing groups all the while doubting my abilities to produce something worthy of more than a trip to the nearest trash can. At the writing group meetings, in roundtable critiques, I berated myself for not doing as well as others. I looked at every flaw in my stories and allowed them to stop my progress. When my own negativity toward my skill level grew so overwhelming, I quit writing altogether. Freedom from the tyranny of my own thoughts came to me, but not without a sense of sadness. From this place I took up a quest to find out why I was even living this life. With dedicated fervor I pursued the answer to this question. I had to find out what was ‘wrong’ with me.

Within 2 years of my search, after seeing a multitude of energy workers, Reiki practitioners, hypnotists and counselors, I turned inward for the answer. Prior to this, I was angry at God for putting me into such a wasteful life. Within moments of deciding that I was tired of hating Him, I got an answer. "You'll find what you're looking for when you look within." This one simple statement opened my eyes completely. I had been using everything outside of myself to determine my self worth, my career path, my level of happiness and my expectations for my future. This realization took me on a quest that led to the most fulfilling and empowering perspective and understanding I could have ever dreamed up. To tell you what this perspective was is irrelevant. The point is that I went to myself with my questions and I alone gave me the answers.

I eventually learned that my gift was communication and with writing being a critical way of communicating, I understood why the dream stayed with me so strongly. Through my own inward study, without a doubt, I knew the words I was sharing in print were inspired. Knowing your gift, or gifts, will give you a sense of confidence that will override any fears you may have in expressing them. You've found your own true path when the actions you take around it bring you comfort and joy on a daily basis. Rather than following the road of least resistance and doing only what you're obligated to do, take the time to figure out what you really want. Map out the steps you'll need to take to get there while enjoying the blessings along the way. You'll know you're going in the right direction when what you produce uplifts and enlightens you and the masses.