Last month’s blog talked about your talents, those God given gifts within you. This month, I continue with the topic and I dedicate it to all the Afghan women suffering, those women who’ve had to give up their dreams and have no control over it. I am heartbroken that there is absolutely nothing I can do for them.
If you are not there and you have the freedom to choose who or what you want to be for the rest of your life, no matter at what stage of life you are, then do it.
Your passions are the reason you wake up early every morning, with a joyful heart and a smile on your face and ready to do what you love to do.
However, I know that not everyone knows or has discovered his or her passions. If you haven’t found them, do you know how to find those talents? Would you like to find them?
That’s the reason for this blog, to help you find the things you like to do so you can live a full and happy life. May you find those talents that fulfill your purpose and that are a blessing for those around you. We don’t only have one talent, we are gifted with many which you want to discover right?
Before you read my questions, let’s talk about what may be some of your passions: painting, ceramics, jeweler or jewelry making, writing, a sport, dancing, singing, drawing, home organization, cooking, baking, woodworking, electrician, fashion design, furniture design, landscaping, interior design, recycling, gardening, florist, seamstress, knitting and crocheting, embroidery, help and support others, teaching, communicate, heal and defend others. Maybe you are passionate about math, solving problems, selling, playing an instrument, speaking another language or healing animals.
So grab paper and pencil to answer the following questions:
1. Let’s do some recollecting, what did you want to be when you grew up? ______Did you fulfill that dream? ____Yes or ____no?
2 .If you didn’t fulfill your dream, for whatever reason, is that something you still want to do? If your answer is yes, add it to your list.
3 .What is that one thing you love to do that makes you feel like nothing else exists?
4. What are you willing to do the rest of your life even if you don’t get paid?
5. Do you have a profession, are you working? Now think about that one thing you’ve always dreamed of doing but you haven’t been able to do yet?
6. Did you find a passion sometime in your life, but had to leave it. Do you still think about it and want to do it? Write it down:
7. Is there something you don’t dare do, perhaps due to fear, but you know you could do it. But you don’t do it because you don’t have the material means or knowledge to do it?
What should you do with those 5 talents? You will create a plan of action to fulfill those dreams. Go ahead! Choose the ones that will make you happiest the rest of your life.
Next, you can create a table similar to my example here:
Activity: Sewing/Designing clothes for other people
Priority: 1
Why or What(Goal/Dream): Design Clothes to sell at a boutique or online
Requirements: Include here required knowledge and tools
Timeline to fullfill my dream: How long will studying for it take?
Once you’ve listed your talents, prioritize them. Next, add the purpose of doing them, what you need to make them happen and the estimated time it will take to do so. There is no hurry. If you need a year or more it’s perfectly fine. Most of our dreams take effort and time to make them happen.
Some other questions to consider are:
1. What did you do as a kid that you loved and stopped doing?
2. Do you have a hobby that you can do full time, what is it? Do you paint? Can you sell your art and make some money?
3. What other talents do you have that can be combined? For example:
Singing and Writing: you can write songs and sell them
Play professional basketball and coach youth at the same time
4. What do you love to do and know that your life is not complete without it, and you won’t live in peace until you fulfill it? In other words, you can’t leave this world until they happen.
Check all your answers carefully and slowly; remove things, add things, fix anything you need to and finalize your best list of talents.
Once you have all your answers, breathe deeply three times and in a blank piece of paper, write down your dream with every little detail. There is no word limit or restrictions, just dream and write. When you finish, place your paper(s) in a sealed envelope. Place it in a safe place where you can find it a year from now, and start working on it, by studying or doing whatever you need to do to make that dream or dreams a reality. I know you will make them happen!
With Everlasting Passion,
Jackie
