Many Talents

At church this week our lesson was on talents. Someone mentioned one of my talents and then someone else added to their comment and then someone else added to their comment and pretty soon I was beat read and cried out, "stop stop!" I was so embarrassed. They mentioned so many things I have done for sisters in the ward; helping with choosing exterior paint, interior design, paintings, baby shower decorations, "transforming" the RS room with decorations for an activity, flower arrangements, gardening, adding curtains to the RS room, refinishing furniture... and then someone said, "and of course she's so spiritual too". At that point I said, "I'm going to have to leave, I'm so embarrassed!" To add to my shame they mentioned my "plethora" of talents in the newsletter in the lesson summary. I am a confident person and of course I am not ashamed of my talents, but I was mortified to be put on display like that among my sisters that I am supposed to serve and represent. The last thing I want is to make anyone feel like they have something to live up to or make anyone feel inferior. I know there are a lot of sisters that say they are not talented or that they don't belong in RS because the sisters in RS are something that they are not. I want to serve with my talents but not be praised for them. Ugh, I felt like hiding under a rock. I never hide my talents, but I was surprised to be so embarrassed. I guess I have not felt that emotion in a long time.

This Nelson Mandella quote really changed me a long time ago when I first heard it:

“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 most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? 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 other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. 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 everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

I am so grateful for my talents. I am grateful when I learn a new talent. I am grateful for my mom who taught me to never be intimidated by any skill. I have been so blessed with super talented friends that I have learned from like a sponge. I get excited to try new things. I am often surprised that things that are easy for me are not easy for some other people. I often don't think of things as talents, but as necessary things for having a full life. I would feel so empty without the art and life that fills me up. I guess I can't differentiate life from art. Life is beauty. Beauty is art. Gardening, painting, sewing, cooking, decorating.. it's all beauty, it's all art, it's all what makes life; life.