Gifts
“We are
each gifted in a unique and important way. It is our privilege and
our adventure to discover our own special light.”
Mary
Dunbar
As human beings, we are
given to comparisons. We typically compare ourselves to other people,
some of whom are smarter, better looking, gifted in some particular
way, or simply better at presenting themselves. We tend to come up
short in that comparison, which leaves us feeling embarrassed and
inferior. With other people, we may be better educated, more
articulate, more capable of enhancing our looks and our wardrobe, and
we feel, if not superior, at least, more impressive. Both of these
are dead-ends, even though one feels pretty good. We spend far too
much time and energy juggling comparisons and trying to somehow even
the playing field, and get a leg up on the competition.
What would be a better
use of our time is self-examination. Not simply taking an inventory
of what is wrong with us—we've probably made detailed lists of
that. Rather, what are we truly good at—perhaps not “uniquely”
good at, but at least acceptably good at? What is it that we adore
about ourselves? Uh-oh, at that question, I felt you shrink away!
It's hard for us to adore ourselves, isn't it? At least, it is for
me. Much easier to list our faults than our gifts. Here's the thing,
we can't be our best selves, and exercise our God-given gifts if we
refuse to claim them. Light under a bushel is not useful, right?
So maybe you have the
gift of hospitality, or the gift of music, or the gift of selfless
giving, and you love doing these things. That is what must occupy
your time and energy—not comparing yourself to others. Suppose you
possess great beauty, or have a wonderful voice, or compose poetry in
your sleep—and you love that about yourself. By all means, exercise
your gifts in the world. Don't spend your precious life worrying
about what's not perfect about you. If you have a gift for science,
or math, or if chemistry makes more sense than poetry to you—take
that gift and use it for the betterment of life for everyone. These
are gifts, freely given, entrusted to you for the sake of humanity.
They are meant to be shared. Focus on that, and let comparisons go.
You are you, and that's good enough. You are, in fact, the light of the world. Stoke that flame.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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