Talents and Abilities

In my church, I have been taught a good amount about developing my talents, but it’s not until recently that I feel like I can really do something with them.

What do we know about talents?

• Everyone is different. They see things differently.
• You cannot discover and realize your talents without other people.
• All God-given talents and abilities should be developed.
• When we work to improve ourselves and put our talents to work, then we do the most good.

Everyone is different.

People would say to be yourself, but I didn’t have a clear picture of what that was, and I lacked self-confidence (I still do). Especially when it comes to job hunting, I would get discouraged and not want to try: “Those people have a lot more or better skills than I do. There’s so many people applying for the job. Why can’t I get a job? What’s wrong with me?” It’s also futile to compare my personality with others. We are all at different stages of life, and just because time has gone by on a calendar doesn’t mean I need to be progressing at a certain pre-determined rate. I decide how slow or fast I go. I am the one in charge. When I recognize who I am, who I really am, and what I have to offer to the world, I can let go of competition and comparison and just focus on doing what I am supposed to do to the best of my ability.

Another thing I have learned about all of us is that we are complex people. We might take a job or choose a career in one field, but that is not all there is to us. At least in that one field, we use a lot of skills to perform our job. There might be hard-core skills we have, like software design, but then there are other things that may not be as easy to put on a resume, like spatial thinking, an ability to clearly teach a new concept to that someone can understand, or an analytical mind. It is very important not to put yourself into a box and limit your potential only to what employers describe on job postings. We need to find careers that suit our myriad of talents, not conform ourselves to only what is expected of us. That way, we won’t be denying part of ourselves just to get a paycheck.

You cannot discover and realize your talents without other people.
It might be different for someone who has been able to see themselves clearly from a young age, but I felt I was slow to blossom. My self-consciousness, timidity, and self-doubt prevented me from seeing myself clearly. I appreciated the friends and family around me who could accurately describe me, and in a way that I would believe it, since I dismissed so many things about me. Going to new places outside of my comfort zone and familiarity, trying to adapt to them, and making friends in the process—that is the environment that most developed my self-image. By hearing or seeing how my personality or skills have helped other people, my true self gets confirmed to me multiple times until I finally believe and accept it. The next step is to thrive.

All God-given talents and abilities should be developed.
Reflection is all that is needed to be able to put the pieces together. These things were with you the whole time; you just weren’t paying enough attention. When you sit down and really simmer with thought-provoking questions about what you like to do, what you’re good at, when you accomplished something that you were really proud of, and things other people have pointed out to you, the perspective really becomes clearer, and you can start to make possible plans of action to put these skills to work. If I were to negate my true self and try to be someone else, I would do the most damage. I do not do anyone good by keeping my brightness in the dark and not sharing it with others. 


When we work to improve ourselves and put our talents to work, then we do the most good.
I believe that when I do something naturally because I want to do it and I like doing it, and it produces something that benefits another person, then I will be fulfilling my vocation. I will be happier, feel like I am really having an impact, will be creating something that wasn’t there before, feel inspired and enabled, and be having a positive impact on the world around me.

I know that there is no limit to what I can do, only my self-doubt. When I see who I really am and stay true to it with the actions I choose to do, then I will be an unstoppable force for good.

Application: What can you do to see your talents clearly?

• Reflect on when someone complimented you. What were you doing? How did it benefit the other person? What skills were you using? What can you do to improve those skills and continue to put them in practice?
• If you haven’t heard of it, read How to Find the Work You Love by Laurence G. Bolt.
• Take time to ponder, reflect, meditate, pray, and ask yourself or God what your special talents are. How can you use a combination of your skills to pursue a career that is more in line with who you really are?
• If it doesn’t seem like inspiration is coming, just sit in it for a while, and answers will miraculously pop into your head.