Surround Yourself With Strength

Each of us has a talent- something that we are exceptionally good at doing that comes naturally and doesn't necessarily require an immense amount of practice (although practice truly does make perfect). Some of us are better at recognizing what our God-given talents are than others, but just because you can’t see all of yours doesn't mean that you don't have any. Knowing what your gifts are and what makes you happy are crucial ingredients to creating a beautiful life.

Personally, I have found that surrounding myself with people who are far more talented than I could ever dream of being has inspired me to look more closely at what my inherent gifts are and cultivate those on a daily basis. It also gives me a strong sense of respect for those around me. Here are a few easy steps to follow on your path to nurturing your gifts and loving life:

First, identify your talents. What are you good at? If you are able to list your inborn gifts, you are already ahead of the game! If you can’t, try asking your close friends and family to answer that question for you. They can easily share some of your natural gifts with you. If you are one who can't see any of these talents yourself, you probably should ask, and ask soon! It is important to know what you are good at and what you enjoy in life, otherwise, how will you create a life you love to live?

Is your talent dancing, playing sports, cooking, crafting, blogging, writing, accounting, parenting, sewing, teaching, helping others, making people laugh, fixing things, building or creating (or anything I haven't included on this list!)? Of course, you will more than likely find that you have multiple strengths, and when you combine those with things you actually love to do, you will be on your way to loving your life even more than you already do!

Second, identify what you enjoy doing. There can be a difference between what you're good at and what you enjoy. For example, I am good at cooking, but I don't enjoy it (I really dislike the cleanup) and would never want to do it as a profession! You can still mark these talents among your strengths, but choose not to pursue them in life as a career or hobby.

Third, once you have identified your talents and things that you truly enjoy doing, you need to surround yourself with people who are already doing those things and are great at them! People who inspire and motivate you to be a better person! Find the people in your life who are great at the things you love and enjoy and study their habits. Ask them for their advice and ask them to mentor you! You will be surprised at how many people would happily assist you and offer their insight. Strong people help other people. It is just that simple! Find these people however you can. Seek them out in your job and your personal life and begin to utilize their expertise and insight to better yourself. Now I want to be clear, in no way am I saying you should strive to be someone else! Quite the contrary! I am saying you should strive to be the best YOU possible and use others as motivation to get there.

Do not be discouraged if you are met with resistance by some people you turn to for help. Not everyone is strong enough to mentor others and some can feel truly threatened by the request. That is okay! There will be a dream killers along the way- people who are threatened by your ambition. There will be times that you have to realize your own independence and seek alternative paths to your success and happiness. And guess what…That is OKAY! It will only make you a stronger person in the long run. Just remember how it feels when people do this sort of thing to your dreams and be sure to never do that to someone else's when you are asked for help. Whenever you have the opportunity, inspire and help as many people as you can and do it with a happy and grateful heart. The return will be tenfold and you will be one step closer to loving your life!

Your final step is simply putting this into motion. One foot in front of the other, one day at a time. Find your happiness and chase it with everything that you are. LOVE LIFE!