In order to discover your talent you have to deal deeply with two parts.
Part 1: Reflecting on Yourself,
Part 2: Experiencing Life.
Our
perception of ourselves is very complex. Ironically, much like we cannot see our
own nose, we are often blinded to the things that we are best at. It can be
really hard to identify our brightest talents and they are often in the places
we least expect. We may even be very good at things that we perceive ourselves
as being bad at. There are many good reasons to want to explore your talents
but it's going to take a little work.
Today let’s look on Experiencing life.
Part 2: Experiencing Life
Open up time for new things. Your life needs to have
room for discovering your talents! If you spend all day on the couch
after school or work or you spend all of your waking weekend hours at
parties, then you're going to have very little time for self discovery.
Your talents will often lie in activities that you've not tried yet and
if you don't make time for those things, then you'll never expand beyond
what you are now.
- Think about how you spend your time right now. Consider your priorities and then find things that you can cut to make more time for new experiences.
Make "your" time. While other people can help you
find your talents, it's also important to take some time that's just for
you. Self discovery does require a lot of self reflection and if you're
spending all of your time watching movies with your friends, you
probably won't get the time you need to really understand yourself. Take
some quiet days that are just for you and spend them doing new
activities.
Build on your existing skills. You probably already
have some basic skills. Any skill that you possess can be turned into a
real talent, but you need to take the time to develop it and really work
on experiencing all of the different activities that go in to that
talent. You might have experienced only a small aspect of a possible
talent and you will need to experience much more if you really want to
cultivate it.
- For example, let's say that you're pretty good at interior design. You certainly made your room looks pretty nice. Well, try developing that skill into a full talent. Study up on interior design, mess around with computer programs for interior design, and cultivate an awesome Pinterest. By investing in this skill and exploring it further, you can develop your minor skill into a talent.
Try things you would never have tried before.
Sometimes we tell ourselves that we can't do things. Maybe we think
we're not good enough or not smart enough. Most often we see ourselves
as "not that kind of person". But the thing is that you don't know
you're that kind of person until you start becoming that person. You
have to give life a chance to surprise you. You're much more incredible
and interesting than you give yourself credit for. Take a risk and try
something totally different than anything you've ever tried before.
- For example, try rock climbing. Try scuba diving. Write a book. Start a business. These kinds of things take work but for many, they are at the very essence of who they are.
- It's a good idea to try to factor in things you already know you can do well. For example, you know that you like hanging out with little kids. From this you can say that you probably have a fun, easy-going nature. This means you might excel at work with animals, which is similar and requires some of the same underlying traits.
Take classes in subjects that interest you. If
there's a subject that interests you and you think you might want to
develop it into a talent, consider taking a class. Getting more
information and finding out what the experience would really be like can
tell you if it's really something you could have a talent for. It also
will help you get the basic skills needed to start developing your
talent if you decide it's something that you want to do.
- You can take online classes for free from websites like Coursera and University of the the People, if you don't have access to education resources. If you do have money and time to devote to a class though, try your local community and technical colleges, as well as your local community center.
Travel to expand your experiences. Traveling is one
of the most impactful experiences you can have. It will challenge you
and teach you more about yourself than you thought possible. However,
you can't just take the easy route and go on a cruise or guided trip. Go
on your own. Go somewhere different from anywhere you've ever been.
Immerse yourself in the experience. Try new things. You'll find yourself
struggling in some areas but you'll also find that there are other
activities that you can do with ease or that make you really happy.
- Traveling can seem expensive but it really depends on where you go, when, and what you do. It doesn't have to be an expensive experience. You can also travel a little more close to home and get the same sort of benefits. For example, if you're from the US, try going out into the Canadian countryside or a backpacking trip in Mexico.
Take on challenges. When we have to struggle, when
we're removed from our usual comfortable environment, is when we learn
the most about ourselves. When you shut yourself off to challenges by
just sticking to a quiet life and never leaving the house, or even
backing out when times get tough or running from your problems, you deny
yourself the chance to shine. Let challenges happen, try to tackle your
problems, and get out and live life a bit more so that you have the
chance to conquer challenges that you encounter.
- For example, your grandma might get sick and need help. Try helping her out. You might find that you're really good at connecting with and helping the elderly.
Volunteer to help shift your perspective. In
experiencing just your own life and your own world, it's easy to have
your mind closed to the possibilities: the possibilities of what you are
and the possibilities of what you could be. When you help others in
significant and impactful ways, you'll find that you see yourself in a
new light. Your priorities will change. You might even get the chance to
shine in a talent you didn't even know you had, or build a new talent
through the work you do.
- For example, local parks departments often need help removing invasive plants or in building new structures like playgrounds. You can volunteer and you might find that you're good at identifying plants, woodworking, reading building plans, or organizing or motivating people.
Tips
- And above all be yourself; don't worry what people will think of you .
- Have confidence in yourself and don't worry about what other people might think of you. Show your talent to everyone!
- You are you and that's all that you need to be, if you want a talent don't act like professionals do with theirs.
- Talk to your friends and ask them what they like about you.
- Help find a friend's talent. You might discover your own in the process!
All the best
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