Rethinking Your Gift: What Were You Born To Do?

Part 2- Finding your Gift

When I began writing this post, I was unaware I would be supplied with a living breathing illustration. Nor did I know that it would be someone near and dear to me providing the illustration. My message was blasted right back at me, and perhaps a bit too loud and clear, so timely that it is obvious that I need it as much as anyone.

For this reason, I am going to post the clincher right at the beginning of my article, (and you can read the rest if you like):

What were you born to do? Do it. Do it now.

I was getting ready to go outside for a bit of exercise last evening after work before the sunset had stolen away all remaining traces of light. My phone rang. My husband had been working diligently on our new old house. He was stressed and out of breath. He had been diligently framing a wall and had just shot a 16D nail through his hand with a nail gun. In my past, such news has rendered me a complete hindrance––as in, someone please shove me out of the way. So I knew I had achieved new heights when rational questions came out of my mouth, rather than screaming violently into the phone. “Are you alone?” “Are you bleeding?” “Do you need an ambulance?” I asked these questions without shouting. I amazed myself. After clarifying the answers of yes, no, and no, it was determined that I was the best ride to the ER.

It was your typical ER experience. My husband’s pain had not yet set in, so persons in labor, bleeding children, and anxious adults, (as demanded by the Hippocratic Oath), were allowed to cut in line. We spent most of our evening watching the parade.

But if you are going to shoot yourself in the hand, hey––do it like my husband. The way that nail embedded itself up to the nail head in the muscle of his thumb could not have been positioned more perfect. X-rays revealed no broken bones. Movement was not hindered. The framing nail slid in parallel with the muscle to the wrist, with only a small puncture wound visible on the surface of the skin. From his smiling face–albeit pale, (and yes he was smiling), no one would ever guess he was injured at all. (However, we are fully aware that it will get worse before it gets better.)

I suggested next time he needed a day off of work, to just to let me know.

How does this illustrate my point? Some people know what they were born to do almost from the day they were born. My husband is one of those people. Though I was not there, I believe he was born with an Ebony pencil in his hand. He has been drawing since he was old enough to understand the concept. He was born to make art. I have often envied such people, who knew so clearly–and sometimes so early–what they were born to do. But struggling to find your sweet spot does not make it any less of a gift. For many, finding your sweet spot is a journey of many years, of marching forward to the next opportunity, and of working diligently to connect the dots to complete the picture.

The point is to find your gift.

Why did you go to work today? If your goal is to get money, you need a new goal. If your goal is to find out what you were born to do, the money will follow. It never works the other way around. To go to work for any other reason than to express your gift is to fall short of what you were put on earth to do. It is to short the whole of humanity of something we all need. You have something to give us, and without your gift, we will all be lacking.

I just had a wake-up call. Why I have to be such a fickle person, and almost lose something of value to value it, is beyond me. But today I am thankful my husband can still do what he was born to do. This accident has made it clear, that he needs to make hay while the sun shines. He needs to make more art.

As a marketer, I will never encourage you to go for the money. I will never ask you how you can make more money, get more followers, or get more likes. I will always ask you how you can make more art. Rethink your gift. What has God given you to do to benefit the rest of mankind? This is the right time to find it. 

Now is the time to make more art.

Whatsoever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might. Ecclesiastes 9:10

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