I don’t get how you did that? This is delicious, how did you make it? What did you do to get this software to do that? I bet you’ve had someone tell you how amazed they were at something that seemed pretty simple for you accomplish. It could be your mastery in the kitchen or it might be your ability to teach math to a struggling student. You might have mechanical insights that would rival Leonardo DaVinci but odds are, you have something you could name at this moment that others recognize and even marvel at in your life.
What if I can’t think of anything?
For some of us, we might not be around enough people who get to experience and see the things we are most passionate about. Take a few moments and consider these areas of expertise.
- Cooking
- Storytelling
- Working with Computers
- Mechanically how things work
- Interior Design
- Wood Working
- Automobiles
- Photography
- Artistic Painting and Drawing
- Electronics
- Writing and Poetry
- Speaking with Others
- Working with Children
- Organization and Administration
- Camping and Hiking
- Networking with Others
- Gardening
- Foreign Languages
- Leading Others
- Multitasking
- Music and Singing
- Fashion and Dress
- Sewing and Knitting
- Working with Animals
- Hair Styling and Makeup
- Caregiver
- Nutrition and Health
- Running and Biking
- Legal and Politics
All of us have something we’re naturally good at and odds are, other people have seen and recognized these strengths over and over again.
Why Your Natural Talents Matter?
Now that you’ve recognized the natural talents in your life it’s time to consider why this matters and what it means in the lives of others.
Think back over your life for a moment. Remember that person or two who saw something special in you and was bold enough to share it with you? At the time it probably made you feel really special and it’s possible it still makes you feel special to this very day.
Now consider if that person never took the time to share this something special with you? What if they were simply too busy and didn’t have time, would you be the same person today?
I remember a man in my life named Eddie Shultz, who took time, out of his busy life, to teach me the fundamentals of electronics. Those skills led me to a great job with an Aerospace company which lead me to learn software development. Thirty-five years later, these same skills help me to provide for my family and I’ll always be grateful that Eddie took the time to invest in a young kid like me, interested in electronics.
Like Eddie, you have the capacity to share your talents with others around you. I call this “our sphere of influence” and each of us has such a sphere with all the people we interact and encounter every day. It might be our neighbors or fellow students at school. It could be co-workers or people at the local community center. We have people all around us that could benefit from us spending just a few minutes with them if we simply were aware of their needs and made time to make a difference.
So who’s in your sphere of influence? What groups or organizations are you a part of throughout your week.
Where’s Your Time Going?
Think of your time like a budget and where you spend it. What’s taking up time in your life that you could budget in a better way? What about fifteen minutes less on social media during lunch so you can be present with people around you. Start with small adjustments to your time budget, ensuring it’s being well invested in others.
Walking in Your Platform with Purpose
Understanding the unique platform you have, using your natural talents, empowers you to make a life-long difference in others.
Place a post-it note on your bathroom mirror that says “I have a platform with a purpose”. Decide right now to make this the next chapter in your life, one that includes awareness of what you have to offer to those around you with time intentionally set aside to do it.
Live your platform to make a purposeful difference in the lives of others.
I’d love to hear how it’s going @PlatWithPurpose