Sunday, August 17, 2008

Completely Random Sunday #3

Last week I confessed that I did not watch the opening ceremony of the Olympics. I am glad to report that I was NOT the only person to have missed it, there are other people out there who didn't see it either and this made me feel much better! However, I do have to admit that I've been watching some of the swimming. The main reason for this is that I am insanely patriotic about Australia and swimming is the one sport in which we are guaranteed to get medals!! I love seeing Australia win!!

However, the one person who really has impressed me over the last week is Michael Phelps. That guy is truly amazing. His ability in the pool is beyond compare and I imagine in 50 years time I will be able to tell all my great nieces and nephews that I saw every single one of his record breaking swims and cheered him all the way....even if he is an American. I love that he has achieved so much, although I am not so secretly hoping that Australia puts an end to his dream of getting 8 gold medals at one Olympics by kicking butt in the medley relay today....sorry to my American friends, but losing would probably be a good character building experience for him...LOL!!

Anyway, this brings me to the actual topic of today's random post....TALENT!!!. It's a strange and rather elusive thing, talent. Everyone has talents, things that they are good at, that they do better than other people, and generally these things give one pleasure. I never thought that I was very talented at anything...I really believed that I was rather average. I am NOT good at sport, I can't swim very well (mostly because I hate putting my face under water), and as much as I would like to be good at art, that is drawing and painting, I am not. However, not long after I started at uni, I discovered that I have a talent for learning languages. I never knew I possessed such a gift before this, mostly because I had never had the opportunity to try. But I find that it comes relatively easily for me, despite the fact that I was over 30 and that's supposed to make it more difficult. But compared to others in my language classes, I found the process easy...it just made sense to me and I rarely struggled for understanding. I also learned that I write rather well...my grades for essays have encouraged this belief and if you don't agree then take it up with the markers!! I probably won't ever write a best selling novel...but you never know :)

Earlier this year my darling sister introduced me to the world of stamping and card making. Having seen a lot of amazingly talented people's work, I don't believe that I am supremely talented in this area, but having put my creations here on my blog and received lots of lovely comments, I have come to think that maybe I'm not too bad. I realise and accept that I am never going to paint a masterpiece, but I can create small works of art that can be sent off in an envelope to (hopefully) brighten someone's day. I have some small talent.

This has even led me to believe that perhaps I have other talents too. My question for you today is this: what are your talents? I know that most of you who read my blog are crafters and I assume that you have talent in this area....what I'm talking about here are your other talents...I know you have them and I want to know what they are. So, leave a comment, tell me what you are good at...don't be shy, because mostly we are our own worst critics and we have been taught that it's somehow wrong to say that we are good at something. but the thing is, if someone like Michael Phelps, who has achieved so much, did not believe in himself and his gifts as an athlete then he certainly would never have amazed the world by his achievements.

I will leave you with a quote from the incredible Nelson Mandela's inaugural speech, and perhaps this might inspire us all to believe that we do have the right to shine, to show the world (even if it is just our own small section of it) that we have gifts, talent, and are powerful beyond our own self-limiting beliefs.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us most. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and famous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Have a beautiful day,
Kristie

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Brilliant post, especially Mandela's quote. I need to think a bit about what some of my talents might be. PS. I also hate putting my head underwater.LOL.

Nikki Bond said...

You've given me alot to think about to Kristie...I'm not sure what my "talent" would be...I know my friends say I have a knack for fashion and make-up/hair....but I think they're just being nice! LOL Thanks for making me use my noggin today {SMILES}

Lydia Fiedler said...

Well my dear, we have something in common! Several things actually! I too have a gift for languages - I studied Russian for many many years and still sometimes the Russian words come before the English one.

I hate putting my face in the water too, however, so did Michael Phelps at one point, so maybe there's hope for us.

I spent a few weeks in Brisbane, which is the only other place besides Austin that I've ever felt could be home.

Oh - and I speak FABBY pig latin and can write my name frontwards and backwards at the same time with both hands! :)

And finally, my passion is stamping! :)

Thanks for the Mandela and thanks for coming by my blog.

Click my contact info and send me your address - love to send a card 14 hours beyond the sea!!!

Lydia
Understand Blue

Anonymous said...

Hmmm ... interesting ponderings. I have always been a crafty person. I switched to stamping when my eyesight started to go at 40 and I could no longer do Counted Cross Stitch because I could not see the little designs in the squares!

Other than crafts, though, I have a knack for organizing, though you could not tell by looking at my condo! I am also very analytical (the Day Job) and if I cannot figure out how something works, I'll dig until I get it.

I think I am also a natural teacher, which is why this whole SU Demo thing works for me. I get to teach what I love, and it is a blast!

June Houck said...

My talent is that I was a GREAT math teacher (before my girls were born). I taught grades 8th-12th. I could not afford daycare for twins on a teacher salary, so I became a SAHM. I really miss my students! I really really miss teaching. But I can't see me going back, because I wouldn't be able to take care of Julia & Kathryn. I'd have to pay someone to take them to all their therapies and babysit them while I was at work. The first problem with that is I think I am best qualified to watch my children and the second is it probably be too expensive to pay someone. Not to mention I would have to get a whole new wardrobe :) Trade in my casual clothing for professional clothing...
Anyway, teaching classes at local scrapbook stores helped fill the desire to teach, but both stores closed. My greeting card sales at the two coffee shops keeps me hopping anyway :) I have to average 3 cards per day now just to keep up. That is not easy when I have two girls to take care of. But school starts in 2 weeks, and dh would LOVE it if I found a part-time job. I told him card selling IS my part-time job. He meant one that paid better :)

 

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