It’s been said that someone who doesn’t read might as well be illiterate—he’s no better off than the man who can’t.
In the same way, neglecting your natural talents denies your friends, family, colleagues and, most importantly, yourself, from achieving your full potential.
Let’s break this down.
Talents = Sparks
Your innate talents are like sparks. These sparks are your natural way of thinking, feeling or behaving. They are yours and yours alone.
Every single person walking this earth is blessed with certain sparks, certain natural talents.
However, there’s a massive problem. Too many people never take a crucial step.
They don’t properly invest in themselves to grow their natural talents and turn those talents into actual strengths.
Instead, their talents only remain fleeting glimpses of what could be…
Allowing your talents to remain sparks isn’t just unfortunate. It’s tantamount to neglecting your most powerful gift–not just for yourself, but for the world.
So, how do we turn our talents into strengths, our sparks into a campfire?
We must give the sparks fuel.
Investment = Fuel
To turn sparks into fire, you need fuel–tinder, kindling and fuelwood. No fuel means no warmth against the elements, no heat for cooking and no blazing fire to scare away the grizzlies.
Similarly, not investing in your talents means you can’t grow them into strengths. Your talents will remain just that–fleeting glimpses of excellence.
If you take away anything from this post, let it be this formula:
Talent (Spark) X Investment (Fuel/Wood) = Strength (Fire)
As you can see, the fuel (investment in new skills and knowledge) is what makes the difference between a talent and a strength, a spark or a fire.
Remember Gallup’s definition of a strength: “A strength is the ability to consistently provide near-perfect performance in a specific activity.”
Time spent practicing, developing skills and building your knowledge base are all fuel for your fire. You already have unique talents, but they need to be nurtured, developed and focused.
If we want to truly leverage our talents, we must invest in them.
Strength = Fire
As frequently discussed on StrengthsLauncher, and explored in the best-selling StrengthsFinder 2.0, developing your natural talents into strengths is a life-changing endeavor.
When you understand your natural talents, you begin to better understand and appreciate the natural talents of others. This understanding–this language of strengths–helps you better relate, create and achieve in your work. Not just as an individual, but as a team member, too.
So, let’s turn our sparks into a tinder fire—good enough to warm our hands and provide a little light.
Next, let’s turn our small fire into a camp fire—large enough to warm others and cook a hot meal.
Then, let’s turn our campfire into a bonfire—big enough and bright enough to warm and light the way for everyone in our life.
You deserve it, your friends and family deserve it and the world deserves it.
Who wants to build a bonfire?
3 easy steps to jump-starting your strengths journey today:
1. Take the StrengthsFinder 2.0 talent assessment.
2. Read through your personalized Insight and Action-Planning guide provided upon finishing the assessment.
3. Enlist your spouse, manager, friends or a good coach to help you develop and nurture your talents and grow them into strengths.
If you enjoyed this post, please say hello at hello@strengthslauncher.com or sign up for future talent insights from the StrengthsLauncher newsletter.
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