Do you have a Gift? a natural talent specific to you? Did it always seem to be a Gift?

Do you have a Curse?  Something about you that keeps you from getting your work done or doing whatever it is you want?  Do you have something that keeps you up at night and won’t leave you alone?

Are Gifts and Curses so different?

I don’t think so.  In fact, I believe that, most of the time, they’re the same thing.  And when something feels like a Curse, you’re in the wrong context, ignoring a part of yourself, and wasting something.

If ideas keep you up at night, use them.

If you love talking with people and building relationships, you’re a social beast. Find a job that harnesses it.

If you’re hopelessly distracted, try putting yourself in a more intense environment that demands swift action.  See what happens.

If you’re obsessive over the details to the point it’s problematic, find work that is clean and neat that needs someone to obsess over the details.  You’ll do things no one else can.

Or maybe you just need a change in perspective.  Even afflictions classified as severe disorders can bear Gifts.

Talents and intrinsic qualities tend to be highly specialized.  The human mind is incredibly diverse; the brain is capable of many things.  And when a quality or a talent isn’t being used or recognized, it starts to rebel. It will take its role by force sooner or later.

Just be sure to remember that no matter who you are or what you’re trying to accomplish, it’ll take commitment.

-Kevin
3.10.2010