This blog post is a work in progress. I’d love comments as I work this out in my head.
- Recognize your gift.
- Lean into it.
- Protect others from the sharp edges that come along with it.
- Recognize it in others.
Some thoughts…
(1) may remain in your shadow until you figure out how to feel worthy. Is it possible to introspect honestly when you don’t feel worthy?
People around you will give you clues to (1) if you will pay attention to how they react to you.
If you tend toward grandiosity, you’ll probably do (2) regardless, because it’s fun. If you tend toward shame, you may avoid (2) because it’s too scary. I think this has a lot to do with what Joseph Campbell calls “following your bliss”.
(3) has to do with boundaries and self regulation. Each gift has a dark side – it can also be considered a defect.
(4) was contributed by Michael – thanks! I’d love to hear more about what he thinks about that…
keith sparkjoy 
We are all born with a gift. From a neuroscience point of view…we are all born with a genius. The problem is twofold
1. We don’t teach to that genius…because it is not recognized therefore that part of us does not get nurtured and like a muscle that does not get used it will atrophy over time.
2. The over use of technology, naturally disengages us from one another. Humans are social beings and the inability to interact face to face or dialogue soley in “shorthand” messaging eliminates a very important gift that one would have in social communication skill.
If we took the time to recognize our gift, more importantly recognize a gift in others ( parents, siblings and friends ) at an early age (a great voice, the ability to show empathy, skilled communicator.) then nourish that gift, especially at a early age, we would all be geniuses. As a society, we are being herded into the “normal”. Our teachers, teach to the middle and the children outside that norm get left out. Gifts are not recognized.
As we become adults, our lives are constantly adjusting to the fact that overall knowledge is growing at such a rampant pace (doubling every year), to keep up we rely on technology. Technology is a double edged sword. By keeping pace, we lose our social edge and inability to recognize others as who they really are. Gifts are lost.
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