Clarifying Your Gifts
You have always known what your gifts are and what you are here to do as your work in the world, but sometimes it’s hard to see this in the midst of a busy life. Sometimes it’s hard to see ourselves objectively enough to understand what we really offer the world.
I’m going to suggest you use one gift I know you do possess, and that is the wonderful gift of your imagination. With your imagination, answer the questions below. They are meant to help you find clues and then clarify what your gifts are. Below are three scenarios I like explore with people.
Scenario I – Childhood Dreams
Go back to a time when just about anything is possible – before any defeats are experienced, before any limiting beliefs have crept in. You’re 9 or 10 years old (or any age you wish to imagine from).
- What are you attracted to and dream of doing? In other words, what do you want to be when you grow up?
- Now describe the qualities that you value regarding that activity, profession or job: (e.g. My friend, Jeff, gave me the idea for this question. He said that he wanted to be a priest until he started liking girls and decided celibacy would not be an option! The qualities that he values in priesthood are: counseling, problem-solving, teaching, serving and helping. He didn’t grow up to be a priest, but he did turn out to be a fine career counselor!)
Scenario II – Student Dreams
Last time you did this, you were 9 or 10 years old. Now fast-forward to when you’re older and in middle or junior high school. You’re about 13 years old.
What is your best/favorite subject(s) in school and why?
Fast-forward some more. Whether you actually attended college or not, imagine that you are in high school, and you are only just beginning to think about pursuing a higher education as an option when you finish 12th grade.
Now, pretend that there are no pressures. The school counselor and teachers are encouraging and simply give you ideas without any specific unsolicited advice. Your 
parents tell you to pick whatever major you want. They are happy as long as you are happy and don’t have any pre-conditions or dreams about what they’d like you to do. Let’s say that money is no object, the economy will be excellent when you graduate and that companies will be clambering to hire you no matter what your degree is….
What do you choose to study in college?
If your choice is to NOT to attend college, what do you do instead?
The third and last of three imagination scenarios I want to share is called Grown-Up Dreams. In the other scenarios, you dreamed about what your gifts are and what you offer the world. This time you’ll add an action twist.
Scenario III – Grown-Up Dreams 
You’re an adult again. Welcome back to now! Actually, we are going to move forward a short time into the future… but only to this evening. Imagine that you are in front of your television watching the numbers for the lottery coming up on the screen. The numbers just so happen to match the lottery ticket you bought this morning – you’ve won!
Fill in the blank:
If I won the lottery, I would _____.
Now, if you are ready to be daring, let’s take some action. Convert your dreams into reality, change these lottery winning wishes into goals.
Instead of:
If I won the lottery, I would _____.
Make it:
My goals are _____.
__________________________________________________________
Angela Loëb helps people rediscover and use their gifts so they bring who they are to what they do in life. http://angelaloeb.com
