Live a Purposeful Life
As Labor Day in the US approaches, I wanted to share some thoughts with you about how you can use your gifts to do your part in the world. I’ve been asking myself the question “what is mine to do?” Maybe you’ve been asking the same thing.
If you’re wondering how to use your gifts, the answer is to allow them to be a gift to others. That doesn’t mean simply giving yourself, your talents, and hard earned fine-tuning of your gifts away. It does mean allowing your gifts to be a gift or blessing to someone else.
First figure out what your gifts are. What comes with a natural ease (even if you do have to continue to practice and develop)? What do you often receive compliments on? What makes you happy when you’re doing it and feels like fun and not a chore?
Think about these things while thinking about your purpose and your why and your mission. There’s no reason to move through life without purpose and not using your gifts in some capacity to help others.
I use my gifts in different ways. I have hobbies that allow me to use my gifts in my spiritual practice and writer. I also have a career in communications that allows me to share my gifts in a professional sense in a place that helps make the world more open to academic research, science, and diverse opinions and ideas. This is important to me.
I had to shift somewhat in how I show up in the world and found this work purposeful with the opportunity to impact diversity, inclusion, and how knowledge is shared globally. Perhaps the anti-science perspectives of the current pandemic played a part in how I prioritized the use of my gifts. It woke me up to a present need and how I could use my gifts in my job to do something about it.
Now, what about you. When you look at your world, country, state, or local community what needs do you see? Where are there gaps that you have the ability to fill?
Decide that you will use your gifts to be a gift and then take a first step to do it.
You don’t have to start a business or become an entrepreneur to enact a purposeful life. You don’t have to be a coach or a speaker. Not long ago I thought I had to be a certain thing and have certain accolades to be able to make an impact. This has changed for me.
Don’t let anything stop you from using your gifts in whatever way you are lead. You just have to be you. I think back on some of the people who impacted my life the most and they were and are ordinary people going about their lives with love and compassion in their heart that spills out.
This – allowing our gifts to be a gift – is how we can change the world we live in.
In gratitude,
Bernette
