January 12, 2010

Find Out What You Really Love To Do   "Find out what you really love to do, and then find a way to make a good living doing it," said Napoleon Hill.   Oh, if it was that easy!  Many can't get past the first half of the statement - finding what you really love to do.    What are your special talents?  What are you uniquely suited to do?    "Most Americans do not know what their strengths are. When you ask them, they look at you with a blank stare, or they respond in terms of subject knowledge, which is the wrong answer," said Peter Drucker.   Are you stuck?  Brian Tracy offers eight ways to identify your special talents in his book Goals! How to Get Everything You Want - Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible.   You will always be the best and happiest at something you love to do.  If you could afford it, you would do it without pay.  It brings out the best in you and affords you the most satisfaction in your daily activities. You do it well.  You have that natural ability in this particular area. This talent has been responsible for most of your success and happiness in life, up until now.  From an early age, you have enjoyed this talent and others comment on it as well. It is something that was easy for you to learn and easy to do.  Why make things so difficult when your special talent is so easy? It holds your attention.  It absorbs you and fascinates you and it is always on your mind.  You love to learn about it.  You become better at it as time goes on.  When you do it, time stands still.  You admire and respect other people who are good at what you are most suited to do.  You want to be around them and emulate them in every way.   I encourage you to set time aside and think about what you enjoy doing and what you are good at.  It doesn't have to be earth-shattering; some of your greatest talents can be rather subtle. Perhaps you're a great listener, a closet writer, the party planner everyone calls for advice, the woodworker who carves in his/her basement.  Once you start looking for your talents, you'll find them.  (Now is not the time to be bashful.)   Each of you was born with your own special talents.  When you recognize and then nurture them, you can excel even more in those talents.  Weave them into your career and your fulfillment in life will skyrocket.       "Hide not your talents.  They for use were made.  What's a sundial in the shade?"             Benjamin Franklin   "When you engage in a work that taps your talent and fuels your passion - that rises out of a great need in the world that you feel drawn by conscience to meet - therein lies your voice, your calling, your soul's code."             Stephen Covey   "I believe that life is a journey, often difficult and sometimes incredibly cruel, but we are well equipped for it if only we tap into our talents and gifts and allow them to blossom."             Les Brown   "The man who is born with a talent which he is meant to use finds his greatest happiness in using it."             Johann Wolfgang von Goethe        I love the TV commercials from for a better life. One in particular speaks to finding your special talents - the boy fumbled in sports, yet excelled in music.  Watch My Life in Sports here. No matter what your talent is, it is worth developing, regardless of what others say.  Keep your eye out for all of their commercials; they are great.   My love of writing goes back to grade school and I remember several of my really creative stories. Unfortunately I didn't keep any of them.  Alas, writing took a back seat when I went to dental school and throughout my years of practice.  I'm happy that I've rediscovered this special talent and I'm encouraged by the many "thank yous" I receive from my Balance Beam readers.   Have a fantastic week and play up what you really love to do.   Stephanie     We grow by "word-of-email" so please feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone whom you think might benefit from and enjoy it. Thanks so much! Contact Us: stephanie@7steps2abalancedlife.com