She said that they are always outwardly focused – what you can give to the world – rather than inwardly focused – what you can give to yourself. And for this reason, she emphasized that if you feel that you don’t have your own life together – you can still share your sacred gifts with others.
She also said that you can be really good at something, but that doesn’t necessarily make it a sacred gift. The way to tell is to notice whether it feeds you or depletes you. You may be a wonderful bookkeeper in your business. You are efficient and have learned the software and are now an expert at accounting. But every time you think about doing your books, you immediately feel drained. This is not a sacred gift. A sacred gift will always energize you.
Do you still share those same gifts now?
If not, why?
Was it because of something that happened that led you away from it or was it because you changed and no longer see this as something you want to give?
When I was young I used to sing. A lot. I was very shy, but once I got to know someone, instead of talking and blabbering, I would make up songs that kept going and going. I would sing about how happy I was that we all loved each other. I would sing about what a lovely color the sky was. I would look around the room and sing about every object that I noticed. I can imagine now how this would’ve been cute at first and then could get annoying after awhile. Thankfully, my family members and friends humored me and listened. And I loved it.
I continued to be confident in my singing through elementary school and entered a singing contest in sixth grade. And while I received a blue ribbon, the only thing I noticed was a mark on the page that said I needed to project my voice more. I was devastated. But I pulled myself up and tried out for a mixed choir the next year. Again, the teacher said the same thing.
So I stopped singing in public.
My sacred gift was muted. It was something that I loved sharing, and this joy inside of me was turned off.
I am just now learning to sing again in front of others. It’s been a slow process, but it’s one that I am determined to work through.
I’m sure we all can think of ways our own sacred gifts have been muted in some way.
Maybe you were a painter who was told that you would never make a living doing something so frivolous.
Maybe you were a writer who was told to be a reporter instead of a fiction writer because it was a more secure way to make a living.
If we take a look at our sacred gifts and remember what they are, then we can start bringing them back.
And if you have had your sacred gifts with you all along, pat yourself on the back! It takes a lot of courage and inner wisdom to hold tight to your gifts, even when you are told to focus on something else.
Our sacred gifts are meant to be shared. It’s our birthright to share them with the world. 🙂
Beautiful post, filled with so much wisdom. Thank you, Jodi.
I'm so happy you are singing again!