As I’ve been making the rounds speaking on Living a Life of Excellence, I’ve spent some time pondering how to define this in a way that it resonates well with just about anyone. I know I recently posted a blog on this topic, but I wanted to add an update by adding a definition that seems to have a ring to it.
Living a Life of Excellence: Using your gifts, as you pursue a lifestyle that you desire, while benefiting the world in a positive way.
Let’s tackle using your gifts. What are gifts exactly? Well, they’re not skills as defined by Napoleon Dynamite. You know, nunchuck skills, computer hacking skills – it’s not these. A gift is not something you typically have to learn. A gift is something that defines you, something that is inherent in who you are. We all have gifts – but many times society has a way of devaluing these, just because it might not fit on a resume properly.
Here are some examples of gifts:
- Compassion
- Oration
- Listening
- Calming influence
- Organizer
- Artistic (Music, Dance, Painting, Drawing etc…)
- Crafty (Build things, Create things)
- Athleticism
- Teaching
- Communicating
- Helping
- Counseling
- The Midas Touch (Good with finances)
The list is probably endless. Your takeaway? Take some time to seriously consider what your gifts are – and then celebrate who you are. It would be really nice for your team/family/organization if you took the time to recognize them for the gifts that they have and how they impact you in a positive way. There are a lot of fun activities for this. If you need some ideas, don’t hesistate to contact me.
Last question – are you using your gifts as you go through life? If not… why not?
All the best!
JT