January EQ Minute
What is your gift?
By Kari Knutson - January 28, 2016
This Month’s EQ Minute asks the question, “What’s your gift?â€
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Many times we think of our gifts and talents in terms of our job, our title, or what we do for work. I am a good ___________ (fill in the blank). What if you didn’t have your profession to fall back on? What if you just had to think about yourself as a person?
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You might say that you are “nice†and while I’m sure that is true, your gift is not that you are “nice†or that you are a “good personâ€. Your gift is something deeper, something that is more descriptive, meaningful, and personal.
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If you aren’t sure what you gift is, ask someone you trust. I know it might sound a little like an ego trip, but ask with a genuine curiosity to gain some personal insight. It might sound like this: “I’m working on noticing the things that I bring to my job/relationship/experience that are uniquely me. I’m struggling with how to articulate that and I’m looking for some feedback. What kinds of things do you see in me as my gifts, talents, or attributes?â€
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People may surprise you with their responses, be open to hearing their perspective and know that it is so much easier to see others peoples gifts than it is to see our own.
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Why work on figuring out what your gift is?
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When you are aware of your gift you can be intentional in bringing it out. Knowing your gift also helps you realize that you are not your job, you are a person doing a job. Your self worth, value, and contributions go well beyond the boundaries of your job once you understand your gift as a person.
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Confidence, clarity, gratification, and personal satisfaction all come from sharing who we really are, not as our jobs define us, but as we define ourselves.
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No one can replicate the special attributes and gifts that you and you alone bring to any situation. Â I encourage you to think about what your gift is and notice how it shows up in your life, in your work, with your family and friends, and in your community.
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I hope you’ve had a great start to 2016!
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Share your gift and…Get Your Rocky On! – Kari
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PS If you don’t know what “Get Your Rocky On Means†check out the link to my YouTube channel on my website and click on my first EQ Minute “Motivationâ€.