Giving Thanks and Using Your Gifts
During the Thanksgiving holiday every year, we leverage a single day and a large meal to reflect on what we are thankful for. Perhaps the gratitude is for health, a new job, your family, your home, or a vacation. If we are fortunate enough to share what we are thankful for while seated at an extended table filled with family and friends, that alone is enough to be grateful for.
I’m a big believer in living in gratitude every day. Showing thanks shouldn’t just be a one-day annual occasion; it should be a part of our everyday lives. Being thankful is a gift, and in turn, giving your own gifts to others is one of the best practices of gratitude that there is. This is often lost in day-to-day life in the world of adulthood and a massively overlooked concept, especially in the professional world.
One of the most important things to remember to be thankful for are all the natural talents you possess that help make you into the amazing individual that you are. And yes, you have special talents!
Have you ever sat down and truly thought about what your natural gifts are and how you’re leveraging them? Do you use them professionally or personally, and how do you share these with others? These gifts were meant for you to give away to others and your zone of genius. You may not know or consider your special attributes as anything significant, but they truly are! If you are unsure what your gifts are, step back for a moment and ask yourself the following:
What do people come to you for?
What comes naturally to you?
If money was not a concern, what would you do for free that would provide the biggest impact on the world around you?
If you’re still unsure, have a conversation with your parents, best friend, or significant other and ask them what your gifts are. They will be highly accurate in their assessment because they know you best.
The most impactful gift I have identified and leveraged in my career is my ability to connect on a natural level with everyone and everyone. When it comes to relationships, it doesn’t matter if someone I’m talking to is young, old, a CEO, a college student, or a celebrity. I have a natural love to help people and assist in aiding them to identify their own gifts and talents. My natural aptitude is to help put people on a path to a meaningful career that fills their life with purpose and joy.
Recent college graduates and tenured professionals are both seeking the same thing: finding meaning and purpose while utilizing their gifts, passions, and interests to make the biggest impact on the world. We sometimes spend years in confusion trying to figure out what it is we are here to accomplish to best serve our time on this earth.
Publications to Guide Your Course and Find Your Gifts
Starting out as a high school and college student years ago, I turned to books for guidance on what my life’s passion should be professionally. One of my favorite old school career books is “Do What You Are” by Paul D. Teiger. I find this piece so inspiring. I’ve recommended it, loaned it, and purchased additional copies to give out to people in any stage of finding their career path.
The book contains information and assessments leveraging the Myers Briggs shockingly accurate method, and it gives readers new possibilities and alternative career paths. In personality typology, the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (aka, MBTI) is a self-reporting questionnaire that helps indicate various psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions. The test attempts to assign four categories: introversion or extraversion, sensing or intuition, thinking or feeling, judging or perceiving. One letter from each category is taken to produce a four-letter test result, such as "INFJ" or "ENFP".
Leveraging the knowledge from both materials above should be done with an open mind, because it may yield professional directions not anticipated by its readers. From my coaching experience, I’ve found that having an open mind is the key to finding the perfect career and ideal workplace for the majority of people.
Taking the MBTI and reading “Do What You Are” both reveal the driving force behind individuals and what brings them joy. From a personal experience, I can say without question that if given the opportunity, I would help as many people as I can find their dream job or career. From college students making their way into the adult world, to executives in a career transition, I help anyone clarify their dream career or calling. Mentoring college students as an example, has brought me immense joy and is something I continue to do. It’s been gratifying watching the young people progress in their careers over the years.
By working in a career that leverages your gift and calling, you will help with ease and be at your best naturally. By working in your zone of genius and doing what you were put on earth to do, you will land on many people’s thankful list- not only for the Thanksgiving season, but for a lifetime.
In closing, ask yourself the following:
Are you thankful for being yourself and all the natural gifts you were given that can help others?”
Do you know what your gifts are?
Most importantly, are you leveraging your gifts to help others to become the best version of themselves that they can be?
If you know of someone, college student, or professional at any level who could benefit from career coaching, identifying their talents, or in a job transition, please follow this link for more information on private career coaching. I would be happy to help bring clarity and direction to their career!
Steele Recruiting hopes you had the happiest of Thanksgivings with your family and friends. We are grateful for you!
Diane Steele, CEO of Steele Recruiting offers National Executive Search services for Executive Assistants supporting C-Suite Executives, and private career coaching.
Diane can be contacted at diane@steelerecuiting.com or steelerecruiting.com.
Edited by Abby Huot.
