Talent

Talent.

Everyone has a talent of some sort. We usually equate talent with the arts, but there are so many other gifts. For every profession there is talent behind it. Maybe our talent is simpler, maybe it’s the way we care for another person or animal. The point is, all of us have talent, and it is up to us to recognize it and use it to help us become the best person we can be. It makes life easier and more fun when we do.

One of the biggest issues with talent is comparing our gifts with others. I’m very guilty of this, and I’ve let it stop me from writing music on many occasions. When we think we shouldn’t bother doing something because so many others do it better than us, its not only untrue it’s detrimental. There is only one you. No one else does exactly what you do, and no one else does it exactly how you do it. Your talents inspire and influence others. You may not be aware of it, no one may say anything, but I assure you, it’s true. I’ve heard it time and time again, usually when I think no one gives a rat’s ass about what I’m creating.

Maybe you don’t know what your talent is. Take stock in the things that make you the happiest. Maybe it’s gardening, being a good parent, cleaning…it doesn’t have to be something artsy or something that produces a material product.

Maybe there’s something in your childhood you used to enjoy and stopped doing because someone critiqued you negatively. There is always some asshole willing to put you down; it makes them feel better about what they are lacking in life. I was once told I sounded like another artist, then he added a lovely backhanded compliment, “only she can sing.” I could’ve let that crush me, but I let it take me to the next level. He was still an ass. Our talents, at any stage of development, are rarely perfect. Like anything else, we must nurture the raw talent, and if we want to improve, move forward and seek those who are better than us in order to grow.

As a writer, I’m so green, I could be related to Kermit. My grammar, in case you can’t tell, isn’t exactly my strong point. But I am learning. I’ve talked with other writers, hired an editor, looked up grammar rules on the Internet. I don’t expect perfection, and that is liberating. Who can create anything when constantly judging and second- guessing? Don’t be afraid to learn or ask questions about your talent/passion.
As you go into this week, think about your talents. If you don’t know, ask others what they think you’re talents are. Usually, we have more than one thing we are good at doing. Find the one that makes your heart happy this week and make a vow to nurture it.

Unofficial.
It's all very premature on my part to post this header for "Seven Minutes" when the novella is only on its second edit and first round of beta reading, but I'm just so excited to share. Hopefully "Seven Minutes" will be released the end of March.

Stone, a hard-edged lead singer for a metal band, finds himself at a party where an adult version of Seven Minutes in Heaven is being played. With trepidation, Stone pulls Devon's name. Devon, a cross-dressing mechanic, finds himself locking lips with the last person he'd ever suspect willing to do so. Stone can't get Devon out of his head after the party. Devon thinks Stone a complete closet case and writes him off until Stone appears at the garage where Devon works and apologizes. Stone's got a temper. Devon's got attitude. With fire and sass, these two come together...but for how long?

Protection

Protection. What does that word mean to you at this moment? Is there a job you want to keep safe, a home, or maybe a child? Or maybe you're going through a challenging time and feel like you're drifting and wish for some assurance.

Things are challenging for me and my family. We are facing a major move (again) for a job, meanwhile my mother is 800 miles away in a place state that offers little to no work for me and my husband's business, and her health is questionable. We moved there once before and it drained us financially and emotionally, nearly caused divorce. But how do I decide between being with my mom for whatever time she has left or staying with my husband and work? I know many people have been exactly where I am. Many have moved and never regretted the decision; many have stayed because they had to. There isn't a right or wrong answer. And I have to believe when the time is right, and our current lease is up, I'll make the best decision.

Protection and being guided. Sometimes decisions are made for us, like a lunch date being cancelled and then learning later the restaurant had food poisoning. We dodge proverbial bullets all the time. It's a miracle, if you really think about it, that you are here and able to do everything you do. I don't think it's coincidence. Sometimes terrible things happen that are beyond our control, and sometimes for no reason. But those things shape us and often define us. I got hit by a car my first year of college, no permenant injuries, thankfully. I sued the driver and won. Had I not, I wouldn't have had the money to finish school. Terrible, but necessary?

Whatever is going on in your life right now, you are protected, and you are guided. Watch your thoughts and remember simply by being you, you may unknowingly be protecting someone else.

Limitations.

Limitations can be externally or internally created. The external ones we might not have control over, like a debilitating illness or being laid off, but the internal ones we have more power over than we realize.

Take a moment to inventory your beliefs. Examine the truths of statements you might think, ones like "I'm not good enough for that promotion" or "I'll never have that" for validity.

Someone once said to me that the greatest gift we have is the ability to control our thoughts. The more we focus on what we don't have, the more we concentrate on the negative and limit ourselves from obtaining what we really need. 

This week try taking a small step away from negative reinforcement by turning an "I don't have" into a "I have." For example instead of saying "I don't have enough money to buy a new car," turn it into "I will have a new car" or by simply appreciating the car you currently have. It's not easy. Our thoughts are generally more negative than positive. So for one day, if not all week, try to catch yourself and see if what you're thinking or saying is limiting you from achieving what you want, and if so, reword it into something positive. Good luck.