“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken”
(Oscar Wilde)
November 24th is celebrate your unique talent day. So it seems like it is an appropriate time to share with you some thoughts about uniqueness and talent.
It’s not at all uncommon to loose track, or even not acknowledge, the gifts that you have naturally, by focusing on comparisons to others or to a perfect you. The artist Henri Matisse said, “It has bothered me all my life that I do not paint like everybody else.” Even though that was Maitisse’s comments, others said he was actually the most important French painter and artist of the 20th Century.
Sure you’ll have similarities with others, you may even have things about you that are identical to someone else (particularly if you are an identical twin 😉 ) but we are not all exactly the same.
Logically, you already know that – it’s why many people like to try items of clothing and footwear on first before buying so that you know that it fits and suits you. If we were all identical you wouldn’t need to do that – it’d bring a whole new meaning to “one size fits all”.
Talent, abilities, knowledge, gifts, passion and everything else makes you what you are – unique, even if you don’t yet acknowledge that for yourself.
The dictionary definition of unique gives the following:
“Unique (yoo-neek) adjective: 1. being the only one of its kind.
2. unusual and remarkable.”
Sometimes people are happier to consider themselves as unique as described by the first point, yet the use of the word remarkable doesn’t sit as comfortable with them and feels strange and different. If this is something that applies to you, how often have you considered the fact that you really could be remarkable? I’d hazard a guess that your answer, is not going to be that high, which will explain why it feels different and strange.
Just for today I invite you to appreciate your own uniqueness. (You can then make a choice at the end of today if you want to play again tomorrow 😉 ) If this is something you haven’t done before then be gentle with yourself and let this be a possibility as you play with the following:
Make a note on a piece of paper your answers to the following – there are no right or wrong answers, just the ones that are relevant to you.
1. What are your gifts? What seems really easy to you so that you dismiss comments such as “I wish I could do that” as people being nice and/or polite?
2. What are you passionate about? – Those things that time just flies by when you do them.
3. If you were asked what your “claim to fame” is what would you answer?
4. What is it that if you shared with others they’d look at you in amazement?
5. Imagine someone is going to make a film celebrating you. The actor who is playing you wants to spend time with you to fully understand what makes you so unusual and remarkable. You find that it’s really easy to get on with this actor so that it seems natural when they shadow you as you go about your normal day.
Once the actor has seen and heard everything they need, what is it that they would say that makes you remarkable. Imagine a conversation with the actor as they tell you what they have observed that will really help them with the role.
What is it that you could add to them to help them get into character?
Make a note of your answers
6. What do you think others would say are your unique talents (if there’s someone who’s opinion you trust you could even ask them in reality)
7. Read back over your answers and pay attention to what you have written. Allow yourself to accept your own remarkableness.
How and where can you use this newly recognised talent?
As always,I love to here your unique experience with playing with this.
Enjoy Celebrate Your Unique Talent Day and have a lovely unique week
Love
Jen
This post was originally published on www.YourChangingDirection.com