Made To Do This
It is a gift when people identify your strengths for you. This happened to me last week when someone I admire described me as a “great communicator” to someone else. Perhaps it resonated so sweetly because it was something I had recently identified for myself. I enjoy singing, I like to write, but I LOVE speaking to groups of people. I especially love communicating truths intended to inspire hope, change, or action.
Tonight after returning from teaching my Monday night Bible college class, I realized I’ve been compiling a little list lately about this subject. So, here it is.
How Do You Know You Were Made For This?
1. Others recognize it, too. For me it wasn’t just that nice email from last week. It was also the comments I had been hearing more and more often. Not praise for my singing (which I do often) or accolades for my writing (another thing I work on), but friends and family members affirming that they especially enjoyed it when I spoke.
2. It makes you better. Even if you’re tired before, you’re energized afterwards. I usually go into my Monday night classes thinking something along the lines of WHY DO I TEACH ON MONDAY NIGHTS?! But it doesn’t take more than a few minutes for the life to start pumping back into my veins. By the time I finish 3 hours later, I’m so wound up I can’t go to bed.
3. It makes you stronger. Speaking makes me nervous in a useful kind of way. A professional once told me that being nervous was good because you could use it as fuel for a great performance. If you are made to do something, you’ll feel this kind of nervousness. It is almost more of an anticipation.
4. It just works. This is how Dan knows he was made to do live music. He enjoys writing and recording, but he is at his best when he’s playing live. It’s what separates him from other musicians. He’s at the top of his game during a live music set. Other people choke when the pressure is on to play live. Some can’t even imagine having the courage to try it. That’s how Dan knows it’s for him – because he isn’t frozen by those fears. He knows he can do it and do it well.
I don’t think figuring out what you were made to do solves all your identity problems. For example, it still might not pay the bills. But it can point you in the right direction. It can be a go-to in your arsenal of gifts to the world.
Have you identified something you were made to do? What would you add to my list of ways to know?
Harold mentioned last night that both of us should have gone to college & got our teaching degrees when we were first married, “Think of how many years we could have been teaching AND making money from what we love doing.” Well, at least we are doing what we love, even if we don’t get a retirement plan from it! Yeah, teaching. And writing.
Funny, isn’t it? My first instinct as a high schooler was that I should be a teacher . . . but I talked myself out of it. (I say funny because otherwise it would make us all CRY!) God knows.
I can’t believe you didn’t add “Because your mom says so” to your list
Yeah, I totally should have added that!
Felicity,
I think doing something that you were made to do also gives you a feeling of added peace. A definite part of a RARE ROCK’S “arsenal” that resignates towards her family, friends, and anyone fortunate enough to spend a few minutes with her…
The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.
Psalm 29:11
Good points. Now if I can just figure out how they apply to me right now.