Each of us
Has a bounty of gifts
Waiting to be acknowledged
Cultivated
And harvested.
The gifts exist
Whether we recognize them or not
But when we ground them
Own them
Say thanks
For the privilege to share them
The JOY of this life is ours.
I remember the first time I met Dr. Amy Yang, an M.D. who specializes in Chinese acupuncture. She was centered, nurturing, intuitive and brilliant as she systematically took care of several patients at once with a waiting room full. My general practitioner had referred me to Dr. Yang giving me her phone number and address explaining that she was not listed in the phone book. This amazed me how she could build a business without advertising and not being publicly listed where people could find her so I asked her about it. She said that there wasn’t a need because her business was word of mouth and she trusted that whoever needed her would find their way to her. My questions continued as I was intrigued by her, this rare bird grounded in a sense of Self and her gifts. I asked if she was the first acupuncturist in Indianapolis to which she replied without hesitation: I am not the first but I am the best.
Her words still resonate within me: I am not the first but I am the best. I wanted to ground in my gifts the way that Dr. Yang had. I didn’t want to play small anymore or carry a false sense of humility that has tinges of shame in claiming all that I am. Her words, her sense of Self opened the invitation for me to step into my Self with abiding appreciation for what I have been given this lifetime and the joy in sharing it.
At the beginning of this year as I was in conversation with the universe, I heard myself say: Let me be a good steward of my gifts. This spontaneous conversation always brings great insight as to where I am and what I truly want. The follow up to this prayer for my life was an inquiry into: What are my gifts? And how do I want to use them?
Even after writing my book Passing On Hope six years ago, I struggled to own that I am a writer. But now I know I am so I began to ground this gift through sharing my writing via my daily blog. I didn’t want to wait to finish another book to put my writing out into the world and feel grateful for this vehicle to express myself; and I continue to be shocked and thrilled by the generous responses that come my way and that people actually take the time out of their busy day to read it. I write because I must not because I think I should. There is no sense of duty or obligation. Writing simply brings such joy to my life. And whatever my writing does, the effect it has on people is grace at work through me.
When I began to lead workshops eight years ago, I was invited by my friend, Nikki, to co-facilitate a leadership program. People would ask me about my credentials and how I came to be in this position. I used to tease with Nikki saying: because I am friends with Nikki and she asked me. Humor helped me deal with the fact that I could not see the gifts I brought to the table. I didn’t value my wisdom, my ability to be vulnerable in sharing my humanness, my intuition in reading what was really being said so I could mirror this back to others, my unique way of saying things in a way people could hear or the way I could hold space for wherever people were with no judgment or agenda.
Although I no longer lead workshops, I appreciate and use these gifts in my coaching and numerology sessions. Grounding these gifts, seeing how they serve others in helping them to remember all that they are and be excited to live their personal adventure; to release the shame that binds them to old patterns and beliefs that clog their vitality; to enjoy the freedom that comes from exercising their power of choice leaves me with a sense of awe that I get to do what I do. I truly say Thank you! all day long.
The first time I spoke to a group was ten years ago at the invitation of a client who asked me to deliver a message of hope to a team of distribution employees who were stressed out due to the chaos of increasing productivity and over-time. It was magic as we connected through the stories I weaved of rising to the occasion, seizing the opportunities, coming together, using humor and finding a way to enjoy the ride no matter what. People would come up to me quoting their favorite one-liners and I had no recall of saying what they heard. Speaking, storytelling is home to me now, but it took several years to see the abundance of this gift that had been bestowed on me. I show up and get out of the way, surrendering to what needs to come through, being the vessel that is confident it will get wherever it needs to go. When corresponding with the organizers who hire me, I find myself saying over and over: It is my JOY to be a part of your event. It is.
The invitation this day is to ground your gifts remembering:
Each of us
Has a bounty of gifts
Waiting to be acknowledged
Cultivated
And harvested.
The gifts exist
Whether we recognize them or not
But when we ground them
Own them
Say thanks
For the privilege to share them
The JOY of this life is ours.
Be a good steward of your gifts. The world needs your JOY in sharing them.
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