“The world needs that special gift that only you have.” – Marie Forleo
I heard this quote several years ago, and the sentiment of it sounded so nice. I wanted to buy into the idea, but deep down I didn’t know that I could truly believe that for myself. I believed that I was a good person who people enjoyed being around, and maybe I had some things I was moderately talented at. But to say that there was something about me that was so special that only I had and that the world needed?…. That felt so far-fetched.
Fast forward several years to today, I’m happy to say that I have FULLY bought into this idea for myself, and I believe it’s true for every single human being. That might sound cheesy or cliche, but stick with me here. I wanna share some things I’ve been reflecting on…
I recently left my previous job of 12 years at KeyBank in order to find new career opportunities. It was a bittersweet farewell, cause after I put in my notice at Key, I received an overwhelming amount of emails, messages, and calls from my coworkers about how sad they were to see me leave and how much I would be missed. One individual called me to share that in his 20 plus years working at Key, I was one of his top 5 favorite people to work with. That blew my mind, because he wasn’t someone who I worked with every day or even every week. I probably spoke to him maybe once a month at most. He strongly emphasized what a joy I was to work with and that Key would be losing a great asset. I cried after I got off the phone with him. I had no idea the impact I had on him and so many other people at work. And it wasn’t something I was necessarily trying to do; I was just being me. That’s truly when I realized what my gift is – My ability to authentically connect with people and make them feel seen. But I didn’t always know how to tap into this gift….
I absolutely love talking with people, one-on-one. If you’ve ever been in class with us, there’s a good chance that I’ve pulled you aside at some point to ask all about you and your life. I genuinely enjoy these conversations and learning about other others.
But I will say, I didn’t always have the skill of knowing HOW to connect with others. That skill is something that I’ve intentionally worked on over the past 15 years or so after feeling inspired by how some important people in my life made me feel.
I want to give a shout out to my second family, the Coles, who had a huge impact in my life. I met them in my teens where I was a happy and kind but also a very shy human. The Coles were anything but shy. They were charismatic and unapologetically themselves. They also genuinely loved and cared for people. They’re they type of people who would literally give you the shirt off their back of you needed it. I had never experienced this type of infectious and loving energy that could only draw me in.
I observed how they interacted with myself and others and how they made everyone around them feel welcome and loved. I decided I wanted to do that. I wanted to be that for other people. So I intentionally started to put my shy self out there by being outgoing with others. It was uncomfortable at first, but it slowly became more natural. As I focused less on myself and more on others, I began to truly develop the skill that I have today of being able to talk to pretty much anyone and take a genuine interest in their lives and what they have to say.
Anytime I have a meaningful conversation with someone, I leave with such a full heart. Knowing that I have the potential to impact others the way the Cole family has impacted me literally means the world to me.
I’m sharing this with you all, because being able to fully process and understand this gift is something I’m excited about, and I want you to be able to experience this excitement for yourself with your own gifts that make you special.
So I want you to ask yourself; what is your special gift? If you’re not sure yet, I highly recommend you watch this Marie Forleo video to help you get your wheels turning.
And the advice I would give is to take note of the things that naturally light you up, then lean into those things. It may be someting that is natural within you but that you need to develop in order for it to be able to shine. But believe me when I say, you have the ability to make an impact in this world in a way that no one else can. And I can’t wait to see you lean into your gift and own it unapologetically.
