Purpose, Passion & Destiny
Module 3: Brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous You

Well done!

Now that you’ve built robust attitude and confidence foundations, you’re ready to move on to Module 3 – to discover your true talents and what you enjoy. Once you grasp how talent and enjoyment specifically join up for you, you have another key piece in the jigsaw of living your purposeful and passionate destiny.

Part One

You are unique and special

There is no one else in the world with your combination of skills, knowledge and experience. No one. There is no one else who enjoys exactly the same things you do. You are unique and special, just by being yourself. Let me say that again – all you need be is yourself. Fully, authentically yourself.

Every day you’ve been growing. You’ve been gaining experience, skills, and knowledge. You’ve been exposed to events and circumstances that have challenged and shaped you, developing your personal qualities, your character, your attitude, and inner resources. You’ve experienced things you’ve liked and things you didn’t like, in a way that has continuously refined and fine-tuned your desires and personal preferences.

Sometimes, how you’ve been growing has been tangible and you’ve been aware of the change. At other times the progression is so gradual that it’s only when you look back to a specific moment that you’re able to appreciate the shift. Sometimes it’s so subtle that you don’t even realise it’s happened. But for sure, every day you are growing bigger, and expanding in some way.

You may have had several jobs, or even careers, as a result. Take me: I enjoyed careers in HR, in Customer Services, in Management, whilst privately pursuing a path of self-development, and training in hypnotherapy, psychotherapy and coaching. Various life experiences developed my inner resources, together with a deep compassion and a tremendous desire to contribute. I combine all of these in the work I do now; it’s this that fires my passion, feeds my fulfilment, and continually stretches and challenges me. 

What about you? Let’s explore what will fire your passion, feed your fulfilment and continually stretch and challenge you.

Part Two

What are your talents?

Over the course of your life you’ve gained experience, skills, and knowledge; you’ve developed personal qualities, character and inner resources. You’ve shaped talents that are unique to you.

Start by uncovering these unique talents. I’m using that word, ‘uncovering’ deliberately, because very often our talents are genuinely hidden. Here’s how to throw the spotlight on yours.

When you were a child

Talents start to emerge when you are a child. There are subjects you’re better at than others when you’re at school. There are things you can do that you notice your friends don’t do so well. It’s a time when you may also have memories of thinking about ‘what I’d like to be when I grow up’. Often these thoughts hold significant insights – even (or especially) if what you currently do bears little resemblance to these childhood imaginings.

Thinking about your childhood:

  • At school, what were you best at? How much of this do you do now?
  • How did you imagine yourself as an adult?
  • What did you see yourself doing?

  • Homing in on the essence of that, how does it connect with what you do now?

When you feel most ‘yourself’

Next, think about the times when you feel most ‘yourself’ – these are times when you feel good ‘on the inside’, when you’re behaving naturally, and what you do just seems to flow.

Thinking about the times you feel most yourself:

  • What, precisely, are you doing?
  • What comes easily to you?
  • What are you good at – in the words of the American psychologist, Martin Seligman, what are your ‘signature strengths’?
  • Which three words best describe how you see yourself?
  • What character traits and attitudes are you displaying?
  • What inner resources and personal qualities are you revealing?

What others think

Sometimes you are so familiar with the things you are good at that you don’t appreciate them. You take them for granted or underrate them. Sometimes you don’t even see them. So when you are gathering together your talents, ask others what they think too. Don’t just rely on yourself – cast the net wider. Choose friends, colleagues, family members who you trust and respect. Get to know yourself as others see you. What can they see that you can’t?

Thinking about other people:

  • What do they admire, respect or even envy you for?
  • What do you bring to a team?

  • What resources do you have to offer?

The bigger picture

Now step back and review what you’ve discovered. Overall,

  • What is unique and special about you?
  • Putting modesty aside, what do you consider to be your genuine talents, regardless of any improvements you think they could benefit from?

Part Three

 

What do you enjoy?

You may find yourself doing what you can do, rather than what you actively enjoy as well. For many of my clients, this is particularly what has happened in their careers. They’ve progressed and become successful through what they can do, but in the process they’ve lost touch with what they truly enjoy – to such an extent that they’ve begun to forget what it was they enjoyed doing in the first place.

No one else enjoys exactly the same things you do. Over the course of your life you’ve experienced things you’ve liked and things you didn’t like, in a way that has allowed you to refine and fine-tune your desires and personal preferences into what they are now.

Let’s identify those personal preferences, those things you truly enjoy. These are your passions.

When you were a child

You’re often most naturally passionate when you are a child. It’s when you spontaneously do what you love.  There are some things you discover you like better than others. There are things you love to do that you notice your friends don’t like at all (and that’s often why, as children, we make new friends). 

Thinking about your childhood:

  • What did you love to do when you were ten or younger? 
  • How much of this do you do now?

When you feel most alive

Next, think about the occasions when you feel most alive, most powerfully and fully ‘you’.

Thinking of these times:

  • What activities are you happiest doing?
  • What, precisely, are you doing?

If you didn’t have to ‘make a living’ and had plenty of time

‘I don’t have enough money to do what I want’. ‘I need more time’. In my experience, these are two of the most common, and damaging, statements we make to ourselves to kill our passion. Your true passions, the things you would want to continue to do, even if there was no ‘reason’ to do them, can often be uncovered if you imagine you don’t need to earn a living, and time is no object.

Imagine the following scenarios:

  • You’ve won the lottery, had a long holiday, and are now ready to do something. What sort of things would you contemplate?
  • You’ve found yourself in prison for some time. What would you not stop doing? What would you still continue to do?

Now get to the essence of what these passions are. How much of this essence is in your life right now? How can you start to include more?

Part Four

What are your achievements?

Have you ever stopped to consider and acknowledge your achievements and accomplishments? It’s vitally important to do this, as it will give fascinating insights into your talents and passions. Furthermore, if you never acknowledge your achievements, you may well develop a skewed view of yourself and your potential.  So take stock and appreciate your achievements to date.

Answer the following questions:

  • In your life and work, what do you consider to have been your greatest achievements?~
  • What, for you, have been the highlights, the moments when you ‘buzzed’ the most, your most proud and positive moments?
  • When have you triumphed over adversity?

Consider what insights into your talents, passions and potential this gives you. What will you now do to develop these passions and talents – to step fully and authentically into your true potential?

Action!

Actions for the Week

1. Appreciate that you are unique and special

There is no one else who is exactly like you, with your combination of talents and passions. Your challenge is to be fully, authentically yourself.

2. What are you good at?

Over the course of your life, what experience, skills, and knowledge have you gained; what personal qualities, character and inner resources have you developed – what are your talents?

3. What do you enjoy doing most?

What’s the result of all the refining and fine-tuning of your desires and personal preferences to date – what are your passions?

4. What are your proudest achievements?

What insights do these give you into your talents and passions, and into your true potential?

5. What will you now do to develop these passions and talents?

What will you do to step fully and authentically into your true potential?