Every one of us is born gifted. Each gift is unique and the distribution is both balanced and fair.
But, our minds get in the way of using them.
If you think about it, as we thinking folk invariably do, there’s a hefty number of reasons to convince yourself to accept stuff that isn’t true: One gift is better than another, or isn’t that special. A particular combination of gifts is mutually exclusive, logically incompatible.
Newsflash.
Gifts weren’t made to be thought into submission and hidden.
They were made to be used.
Our gifts are the most unique and special part of us and no one can judge or steal them. We can, however, make the terribly self-defeating choice to think ourselves into not using them.
We won’t realize that’s what we’re doing.
We’ll think we don’t know what our purpose in life is. If that’s the case, opting out of using the sharpest tools and most effective weapons we have for accomplishing that purpose isn’t such a big deal.
We’ll convince ourselves our gifts are no good: If they were so special and awesome, how could I or anyone else possibly think they’re not important?
It sounds ridiculous.
The reality is it’s never clear. The dangerous road to self-defeat isn’t marked by the warning:
Looking for mediocrity, randomness, failure, depression and emptiness? Hide your gifts and come this way!
Instead, as with everything we shouldn’t do in life that we somehow find ourselves failing to refuse, our thinking isn’t clear.
Thoughts may be slanted toward logic, trying to predict and make sense of a future we don’t hold, control or understand. Loneliness, hurt, pride, or anger may unhinge us, crowding our mind with noise. Judgment may be clouded by powerful fear or tempting presentation we can’t seem to resist. Personal power may only go so far and we wonder, how the heck would that ever work?
So instead of becoming one of those astounding someones we look at, reveling in how exceptional and amazing they must be…
We become the best dreamer we can be.
Isn’t that nice.
Then, when the infinite distance between the perceived reality of our dreams and the seemingly impossible fantasy of our life imagined begins to scare us, we struggle. We find ways to cope with that unfathomable space.
The thing is, the distance between who we are and our greatest self is only in our mind, in our thinking. Distance develops only because we slowly and consistently convince ourselves it exists with these thoughts:
- “I’m not ready yet.”
- “That’s crazy.”
- “Where would I start?”
- “I don’t want to be like them.”
- “No one’s ever done that before.”
- What would they think?”
- “I don’t know how.”
- “This would never work.”
- “Why can’t things go back to the way they were?”
- “What makes me so great or special?”
- “Everything would be different.”
So… We think our way into burying our gifts, then think our way into coping with the suckiness that settles over life… Then begin to think it’s okay by tolerating it… Then claim renewing our mind and our thinking is something only monks, philosophers and folks who aren’t us, need to do?
I get it. Our thoughts are shaped by everything from how we were raised, to who we choose to spend our lives with, to what we choose to listen to, read and watch, to what we eat, and especially what we worship.
Unless you were born on an island with Jesus himself chances are somewhere along the line stuff got real messy.
Somewhere along the line something or someone caused fear, hurt, doubt, mistrust, confusion, complacency or insecurity. Then came all those misguided thoughts, convincing you it’s okay to not know your life’s purpose, to bury your tools and weapons.
Not the best battle plan.
While you can’t change what happened, you can change how you think. We do it every time we pretend we’re having a bad day. Every time we convince ourselves something will be super-wonderful before it happens.
How awesome will we all be when every step we take forward is bolstered by the thinking that we are invincible, unstoppable, and headed toward greatness every second?
Before you continue down any road that heads elsewhere, stop and think for a second, about what thought led you there in the first place. If that thought isn’t of the invincible and unstoppable camp, reconsider the instruction you received.
Think about going another way.
Tina Watkins Quaye 