You have a gift. It’s been evident since you were little; it’s part of who you are. The talent that you have happens naturally; you could do it standing on your head.

As we grow up, many of us see other people’s gifts or talents and are so impressed with them that we don’t value our own. Some gifts are big and loud and grab all the attention, and that can be intimidating sometimes, especially when yours are of the softer variety. Perhaps you’ve been afraid to share what you can do with the people around you, and that’s okay. But the people who need you and what you can do are missing out.

Every gift has value, and each gift has a place in our world. Someone, somewhere, needs YOURS. Don’t be afraid to share your gift with the world.

If you are a musical artist, work in the fine arts, or you are a craftsman/woman, your gift is very personal. You put part of your own self, your heart into what you do, and that will involve being vulnerable. That’s scary. It can be hard to hear negative feedback when you share what you have created, and that may cause you to decide to keep your gift to yourself. But our world needs the beauty that you create very badly. A beautiful painting or sketch, a haunting and lovely piece of music, a carefully crafted chair or lamp…all these things bring peace and comfort into other people’s lives, and that is important work.

Maybe your gifting is organization, or managing people, or understanding data and reports, and you feel like your gift isn’t that exciting. Imagine our world without organization, just for a minute! No one could function at all. And when it comes to understanding data and other business input, that is a vital function for any company. The skill of being able to manage people is a gift that has a place almost anywhere, and although a lot of people think they can do this, it is actually a gift to be able to do it well. We’ve all worked for someone who had zero people-skills, and we were miserable, right?

Whatever it is that you do, please don’t be afraid to share that gift with the world. We need you.

I’m AnnaVija. My gift is to help other people find their happiness, improve their lives, grow their businesses, and thrive. What’s yours?