Bloom Where You’re Planted

How are you embracing and developing your talents?​

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For as long as I can remember, I've had a natural passion for music and magic. 

One of my earliest memories is banging away at a toy keyboard singing "Neno, Neno, Neno!" (Neno was my word for music when I was still trying to figure out what words are).

And next to that memory is being fascinated by a magic show. Seeing the impossible become possible can be a truly motivating experience, and I quickly began learning all I could about the craft.

Fast forward three decades and I'm still using these gifts that simply came natural to me. As a musician, I've studied music formally in college and have played the saxophone in numerous musical groups. As a magician, I've traveled all across New England and other parts of the United States performing my Interactive Comedy Show.
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I'm sharing this with you because of the importance of embracing, developing, and sharing your own strengths.

Everyone has a talent for something that they are able to do better than most others with little to no effort; the trouble is that, for some, they don't know what their talents are, and for many others, they simply don't take the time to turn their talents into honed skills.

We become truly empowered to effectively serve ourselves and our community when we engage in our strengths and learn to embrace and develop them. Like watering a flower, our authentic colors shine the brightest when we bloom where we're planted.
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Sure, it's good to work on our weaknesses—in areas that we'd do well to improve—but to borrow a phrase from Strengths Finder Coach Lisa Cummings: "We have to stop trying to teach fish to climb trees."

As for myself, though I still play music and perform magic, I don't really consider myself a musician or a magician. Rather, today I look at the underlying skills behind these talents to find the through line. For me, the through line that connects music and magic is the gift of presentation, fascination, and happiness, which is why I consider myself a Facilitator of Fascination & Purveyor of Positivity.

Embracing and developing these talents into honed skills is what today empowers me to share these gifts with others, helping teenagers and young adults gain valuable social emotional knowledge, skills, and resources to meet the challenges of everyday life with clarity, confidence, and courage.

How about you? How do your talents support your mission?

Reflection
1.   What are your strengths?
2.   How are you developing your talents into honed skills?
3.   What are you doing to share your gifts to make your community a little bit brighter?

Final Thoughts
Everyone has a talent for something that they are able to do better than most others with little to no effort; the trouble is that, for some, they don't know what their talents are, and for many others, they simply don't take the time to turn their talents into honed skills. Yet by embracing, developing, and sharing your strengths, you become empowered to effectively serve yourself and those around you in your community. In other words, you allow your authentic colors to shine the brightest when you bloom where you're planted.

Want More On This Topic?

• Watch the companion video.
• Listen to the podcast.
• Schedule a FREE 30-minute Positivity Assessment.
• Become a member of Hashtag Positivity to access exclusive positivity resources to develop social emotional skills for yourself and the people you influence.