"I don't have a gift..."

Someone needs to hear this!

[An excerpt from my upcoming book on purpose…]

Because many of us have tied our gifts to activities, when we can't 'easily' perform popular activities like speaking publicly, playing sports, or playing an instrument, we automatically assume that we are not gifted.

Well, here’s a reminder…

The physical outlook of our gifts are heavily dependent on our environment, our exposure and the experience we are able to garner over time.

I speak publicly because for over 20 years, I have been in an environment where I personally observed my parents consistently, passionately and effectively, publicly communicate ideas as a large part of their vocation and career. That, as well as the fact that, my environments have provided me various opportunities to regularly speak (whether I wanted to or not); that public speaking is now a verified occupation, which has only really become the case in the last few decades, and that I’ve taken time to attend several courses over the years which have empowered me to motivate more effectively.

I could go on listing how different factors have played their part in the physical expressions of my different gifts, but we will be here for a very long time, so I won’t.

Through it all, one thing has become clear to me, and that is: my gifts are first intangible and immaterial at their core.

At the core of my public speaking (physical expression), I know that the real gift I posses is the gift of motivation! This could have manifested physically as a life coach, as a counsellor, as a comedian (because believe it or not, comedians also motivate and encourage), or even as an artist. The point remains. We need to…

Stop tying our gifts to physical activities!

If something happened to my mouth, which meant I could never speak again, I would immediately turn to pen and paper, so I could motivate with my words. In fact, some of my greatest sources of encouragement have come from what I read, and not what was said, surprisingly.

That said though, I definitely still prefer to motivate via spoken word, but you get my point!

So long as there is breath in you, there is at least one unique essence and virtue which you can channel positively, regardless of the cards life deals you. Everyone has a gift…We’ve just been looking at it wrong…

I played this over and over whilst I wrote the words you’ve just read. As you play it, allow your mind wander, whilst you meditate on the true nature of your gift(s). You are more than meets the eye!

Leadership Thoughts 103

Whenever I've been led (within a team), I've always deeply (more deeply than the leaders realised), appreciated when my opinions were considered... Not always involved in the final direction/decision necessarily, but acknowledged. Again, not just in passing but considerably enough—just enough for me to feel like I was valued. 

There is power in acknowledgement. Leaders must be observant to watch out for hints that a member of your team wants to speak but appears too shy to contribute. At times, leaders might also be required to encourage & prompt team members that wouldn't usually share. As the quote implies, when everyone feels like they had a hand in cooking the meal, more care is taken individually, to ensure that the food doesn't get burnt.

Leadership Thoughts 102

Anyone that has worked with me, knows this to be true! 
Some people haven't understood this in the past and it's caused rifts, because they felt, "If you already know what you want, why are you asking me/us?" But Colin Powell phrases it perfectly... I expect team members to challenge my notion; to try and come up with something better and even to try suggest (should that actually be the case) why we are going in the wrong direction/not considering the important things etc. But know that, for me to propose an idea, I also have a reason and will push to make you see why I think it can work. Any leader that doesn't have an opinion is not serving in humility, but, rather, is akin to the doormat that didn't speak up to be cleaned. After a while, it became unbearable and was replaced.

Side note: I actually try to listen to ideas and always ensure that the 'best' idea wins. Regardless of whether it was my idea or not.

No good leader likes a "Yes, Yes" person. With so few people to trust, you find that you become valued member of any team when you (wisely) present the different opinion the team are failing to see—no matter how painful it is. Any good leader, will ensure that his team is full of diverse people... Once that team of diverse can agree on a singular direction, you're half way there. Infact, I go so far as to say: the success of any particular vision is dependent on the diversity in opinion/view point of any leadership team.

Leadership Thoughts 101

Just some Wednesday Wisdom to take on through today.
Most people will see this (that is, see Leadership), and skip thinking, "This isn't for me. I'm not a leader." 

What if you adhered to the notion that leadership can also be a form of service to an area of gifting? I believe every single person has a gift; at least one area each individual is specially graced in. Your inability to recognise your role in leadership, is as a result of your inability to discover your area(s) of gifting.

Meditate on this 🙏🏼

Memorisable Writing

Once upon a time, I was able to receive, retain and recall information by ear and off by heart. Now, seasoned with thyme, marinated, and more mature, I have come to appreciate the wisdom associated with writing down.

You get to a stage when the intricacies of your dealings, greater influence the success of the bigger picture, so, "I forgot", can no longer be used as an excuse. 

No matter how good your brain is, I encourage you to write down for two major reasons:

 1.) Just incase you actually forget something. It acts as your insurance. It also allows you to free your mind to be able to focus on other things...In trying to remember certain pieces of information, our short term memory can become ineffective to taking anything else on at that particular moment.

2.) For the eventuality that someone else needs to follow the same instructions. It's then available, to be followed at their convenience. Infact, it's one of the reasons people write books. It enables the writer (information source) to serve many at the same time. 

So, even if you have a good memory (tending towards photographic), you write down because of the people you've been called to serve; the people that weren't present but will require the information nonetheless, and the people that will ask the same questions over time... You can refer them to the piece of writing that answers the question and saves time. 

Once upon a time is NOW. Now, you must cultivate the habit of writing because, there is good sense in it.