1.1. Identifying and nurturing your unique talents
Every person has unique gifts and talents, and there is always something unique that can be used for other people. It is essential to know our unique talents because by identifying our talents, we can get to our maximum potential. The uniqueness that talents give empowers us in a way that helps us and those around us, be it neighbours, classmates, or people on the other side of the world.
There are many different types of talents, and people find them in various ways. Some individuals’ talents are so strong that they come naturally, and some are challenging. There many different types of methods and tests that can be used in helping people to find and cultivate their talents. One of such tests is the “Meyers Briggs Type Indicator” test. This test is based on Jung’s theory of psychological types. It measures a person’s personality, which is divided into introvert (I), extrovert (E), thinking (T), feeling (F), sensing (S), intuitive (N), judging (J) and perception (P).
I have taken this test once, and the result was that my personality type is ENFP – 22 per cent for extrovert and 14 per cent for introvert; 10 per cent for intuitive and 9 per cent for sensing; 24 per cent for feeling and 12 per cent for thinking; 19 per cent for perception and 10 per cent for judgment.
The test result also showed that I am a “catalyst” type, which means I am innovative and creative. It also showed that I can work well with intuition and feeling. I was shocked when I saw the result, and I retook the test to check whether the result would be the same. It was still the same, and then I took a further test that helped me find my unique talents according to my personality type.
My leading talent is in creating new ideas and new methods. With my talents, I have a lot of opportunities to serve other people’s needs.
1.2. Utilising your gifts to impact others
Mother Teresa’s life story is a testimony to this. Her acts of goodness and the impact that she made on so many lives resulted from her choice to utilise her gift, which, in turn, gave her a chance to change not only others’ lives but her own life as well. By using what she held dearest to serve a purpose greater than herself, she found a unique joy and fulfilment built upon the value of sacrificing her time and energy to make a difference in the world. She allowed her life to be shaped by the needs of people and the potential of her gift, which made her time genuinely extraordinary.
When you take the initiative to use what you have been given to make a difference in someone’s life, you may soon find that your passion becomes not just a lifestyle or a favour to others but a powerful tool, not only for making a real and positive impact to society but also for shaping you into the person you are meant to be.
Creative and meaningful work that utilises our gifts can excite, inspire and fulfil us, opening our hearts to help others, while stimulating personal growth and self-discovery. A life truly lived in the service of others brings a unique and profound kind of happiness and contentment that is hard to find anywhere else.
The thing about utilising your gift to impact others is that it doesn’t necessarily have to involve a grand-scale missionary project. It can be anything from helping a colleague with his workload, when you know your gift and expertise in doing such work could lighten his stress; to creating something that uplifts and instils hope in people’s hearts, such as music, literature or art, or to find a way to translate your passion and talents into actions that help a local community. Whatever form it may take, the heart of utilising your gift to impact others lies in discovering the intersection between what you love to do and what others would benefit from and then finding ways to devote that particular skill to those in need in some way.
One great example of a person using their unique gift to impact others is Mother Teresa. Known for her ability to provide encouragement, support, and a sense of hope to many people, Mother Teresa selflessly used her gift of compassion to offer hands-on service and advocate for those who could not help themselves. As a result of her decision to take action and utilise her gift, her life went on to make a difference in our world far beyond the time she spent on earth. And she is globally celebrated today for her acts of goodness.
1.3. Embracing the power of uniqueness
Differences should not be considered simply better or worse but different. Every individual has a unique perspective; we can solve problems in other and better ways. It is not diversity that makes a difference in the working world; it is each person’s uniqueness. Diversity of thought – not of race, gender or sexual orientation – is the key to an innovative, exciting and inspiring workplace. Valuing individual differences and developing an inclusive work culture will enable organisations to succeed.
It is important to embrace diversity and make it part of your everyday life. To do this, you must encourage and foster an environment where people feel safe and supported; everyone’s best and most authentic self can be realised. You can start by getting to know your colleagues and learning from their unique experiences, working styles, and opinions. Purposefully seek out views other than your own and be open to new and alternative ways of solving problems.
The broader the input into a project, the more exciting and multidimensional the outcome will be. Remember, to become successful, you need to work with others to make the workplace a place everyone can feel proud to be part of. You can create something new and game-changing by understanding how different people interpret the world and then using this to make unique and considered decisions.
Embracing a positive and inclusive culture on a personal level and encouraging this culture in your workplace means you get to work alongside various unique people every day, and the quality of the work produced is much better. Our personal and professional experiences shape us. By seeking understanding and mutual respect, you can continue to grow and inspire others through your work in ways that benefit you and your colleagues in the present and change the future. And that’s truly extraordinary.
- Heart: The seat of passion
Trial-and-error attempts to find what ultimately brings us joy and satisfaction are valid. We may find something that satisfies us and then want to commit to that joy.
First and foremost, spending time with loved ones can contribute to our search for passion. We can note what makes us happy, such as helping our friends and families, and try to do these activities more frequently. Doing so will launch a personal investigation into the most crucial aspect of ourselves and show us the activities we are genuinely passionate about.
How do we find our passion? Sometimes, our passions are apparent, while we need help other times. Passion is an intense and overwhelmingly emotional experience that leads to utter satisfaction in one’s life. It is important to note that we will only achieve the final product of satisfaction after some time, but we will know if we are getting closer to our goals.
As Steve Jobs points out, passion is the driving force behind fulfilled and successful lives. Are all of us born with passion? Not necessarily, though people may possess different capabilities of passion being incubated. Since passion is an intense and overwhelming emotional experience, it cannot be forced upon or created at a whim. The reality is that sometimes people need to find their passion, which means that certain mental and spiritual fevers can catalyse passion’s appearance on a selective basis.
According to Jobs, passion is a powerful and essential tool in experiencing success. Jobs explains that work is a large part of our lives, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what we believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what we do. If we have yet to find it, we must keep looking and not settle. Once we see what we love, we will know when we get there because our work will show it.
The heart is not merely a muscle that pumps blood through our bodies or a clichéd symbol of love and affection. It is the epicentre of our being, driving life and purpose.
2.1. Discovering and Igniting Your Passions
Indeed, discovering your passions and what makes you unique is an essential and transformative process. However, it is also worth noting that this process is not just about self-discovery. Instead, discovering your passions involves many personal and professional exposures.
To start, let’s talk about the types of passion. There are various types of passion, such as internal or external, instant hit or long-term, and even hub passion. Yet, how do we define passion? In the context of career or work, career experts tend to define passion as a positive and strong emotion that combines (a) enthusiasm for one’s work that provides contentment and (b) a sense of strong meaningfulness in the work. This is different from what we find in research studies that are strongly related to the experience of discovery of the inner passion within.
A research in the Journal of Vocational Behaviour reported a significant positive relationship between work passion and intrinsic career success. Yet, many of us may not even find one of those passions that experts have defined throughout our lives. This is because there is another level of perception towards the term passion.
Another study from the American Behavioural Scientist addresses complications in defining passion in research. The study explains that passion is often assumed to be a driving force of willpower, and it is contrary to a contemporary understanding of the emotional connotation of the words “passion”. As the study has addressed, passion is often defined as “a stand for the prevailing emotional self-compact, a blend of strivings and gratifications of the genuine desires and consistent networks of interest, when, and mentally and physically limited and capable.”
In simpler terms, passion comes from complex networks of emotions and passions for different daily life activities or long-term passions. It is active in a cognitive and emotional process. (Yukhymenko-Lescroart & Sharma2022), (Liu et al., 2021), (Hussain et al.2023), (Zhang et al., 2023), (Nilawati et al., 2021), (Luksyte & Carpini, 2024), (Chen et al., 2020)
By Prof. ‘Lere Baale, FPSN, FPCPharm, FNAPharm, FNIM
(Business School Netherlands International)
