What is Your Gift?

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I heard Jason Gould, son of Barbra Streisand say, "Don't die with your music still in you."

Isn't that a great quote?

How do you interpret it?  I would break it down in two ways.  First, whatever your gift is (music, for instance), don't keep it to yourself.  I think we are often most fulfilled when we share with others what we love.

And secondly, to die with your music in you is to leave a void in the world.

So I would ask you today, "What do you have inside of you that you have not yet shared?  What is the obstacle standing in your way?

So often people feel like they do not have gifts to share, because they compare themselves to great musicians, orators and so forth.  They look at their life and think, "There's nothing special about me."  But I would suggest they are only looking at what society says is a noteworthy gift.

What if your real gift is patient listening.  I know someone who worked with families planning funerals.  Her gentle spirit was such a gift!

Another person I know is like a bright star walking into a room.  I can't identify exactly what that gift is, but not everyone has it and it is priceless.

I've known people who are excellent at organization, evaluating circumstances, problem solving and taking care of others.  Again, these might not be a highly recognizable gift, but they should certainly be valued.

I don't accept that you do not have anything special about you. You may have to dig a little deeper to discover your gifts, but they are definitely there.

As we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., today, consider the gifts he brought to the table.  It was his conviction and passion about what he cared about, and particularly his recognition of the needs that were not being addressed, that propelled him forward.  Thank goodness he shared his devotion and enthusiasm in a world so much in need.

Go ahead.  Don't be afraid to discover your gifts.  Whether you offer them quietly like the funeral planner or as exuberantly as Dr. King, you can certainly make the world a better place.

Janet Cassidy
janetcassidy.com

 

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