In leadership coaching, I am often enquiring from people whether they can identify their zone of genius. I usually come across a clear barrier whereby individuals are reluctant to consider that they may be harboring a “zone of genius” within them. This tends to sound “too much” for most. They laugh at the very words. Indeed, it seems difficult to most of us to recognize that we are great in many ways. However, the question is: where are you making your best contribution in life? The challenge is that when we are unaware and not making use of our gifts, we are feeling unfulfilled and we disconnect from our very purpose in life.
We all are born with special talents, which allow us to make a contribution to our family, friends, surroundings, even to our country and world. It is nonetheless common that these talents are not immediately obvious to us. They are buried and we are not necessarily amenable to exploring them. We may even feel that they are not worthy of note, or worse, we wish we did not have them! We tend to be more drawn to the talents of others, which may actually be a mirror image of our own (still buried). Bottom line, we usually overlook our gifts, be it to make people feel welcome, to delight the whole neighborhood by our gardening, or pioneer new ideas at work and elsewhere. Often we hear it in conversations as people point out to these gifts, but we are dismissive.
You need to discover and acknowledge your special gift, as it is your best way to express yourself in this life and to find meaning in your existence. If you feel challenged naming your gift, ask around you what people think your most overlooked talent is. This may change your life…and, in turn, help others discover their zones of genius. Tell a friend how his or her ability to listen is a true gift, or a colleague how his or her ideas always illuminate your horizon, or your child how he or she has a way of making you feel special. When we can all focus on our special talents, and realize our value and contribution, this will make a better world.
Well said dear one! Yes!