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Manifest Your Potential
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The Facts about Gifts & TalentsGrowing up, did anyone say you had a gift or were talented at something? If so, did you have a clue as to what to do about it? Most of us hope we can be great at something, but we have no idea how to figure out what it is. Unfortunately, growing up we learn very little about our natural abilities -- what they are, how to find them and how to use them. So we thought it was important to share a few of the most important "facts" about gifts and talents we have gleaned over the years. See if they make sense to you.
1 - Your gifts and talents are natural abilities which come easily to you and produce extraordinary results. They are as natural as your laughter, and come just as easily as taking a breath. Yet they are often overlooked because they take so little thought or effort to use. Few people pay much attention to the fact that they always "know" which direction is north or that the new song they are hearing on the radio is going to be a hit. Yet, in the right environments, these gifts can make or break a career. Just think how valuable they would be if you needed to guide people through the wilderness or worked in a recording studio.
2 - Most gifts and talents go undiscovered and under developed. Why? Because they are such a natural part of us, we rarely notice our own. So we often need feedback from others to realize how special the things we do really are. And being able to recognizing "the gifts and talents of others" is a skill that few people develop. Talent scouts, agents and managers excel at it, but they work primarily in the fields of sports, art and entertainment. So most of us have to rely on our parents, teachers, friends and mentors to spot our innate abilities. And they often lack the basic skills and knowledge needed to help us discover our hidden talents.
3 - You have at least 5 gifts and talents. We have yet to find anyone who does not have a minimum of 5 things they have a natural ability for. Although you may not be able to list them right now, with a few insightful questions you can start to remember all the things you are great at and recognize your hidden talents.
4 - Being great at 5 to 10 things is the beginning of a great career or business. Your natural abilities define a unique area of excellence because you are the only one who has your set of gifts and talents. If you can match that area up with the professions and careers that value your skill set, you have found work you can be great at. If you add in all the other ingredients of our recipe for your dream job or business, you have all the elements for extraordinary work you will love.
5 - Using your gifts and talents helps reveal more. The process works just like the game of "spot the red car". When you start paying attention to your natural skills, sensitivities, and areas of awareness and knowing -- you start noticing more of them. Your innate abilities are hidden like buried treasure -- and the more you work the field the more you find.
6 - Gifts and talents differ in how you access and develop them. Gifts are like presents, ready to be unwrapped and used. They often feel like you "tap into" them and gaining knowledge and experience helps you access and use them in the real world. Talents are more like muscles that must be developed with training and practice. They represent latent potential which takes effort and time to master and perfect. Natural abilities sometimes run in families because they are linked to physical attributes such as fast twitch muscles or manual dexterity which are essential to athletes and surgeons, respectively. Unlike the skills taught in school or on the job -- gifts and talents can be developed and enhanced, but they cannot be learned. For example, although many can people can be taught how to drive, few have the talent to race in the Indy 500 and win.
The Next StepIf you have read about work you are naturally great at and how your gifts and talents are ingredient one of your dream job, do you want to learn what your natural abilities are? If so, you can try one of our guidebooks ...
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Home > Work > Ten Steps > Step 1 > Gifts 
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