LOVE, GRATITUDE, BENEFICENCE AND TRUTH:  A 52-Week Journey to Who You Really Are

WEEK FOUR:  GO BACK TO GO FORWARD

This exercise takes you back to childhood and youth. Much of who we are and how we see ourselves is left over from our past.  Even though all of us have hurts and pains from our childhoods, we also have successes and triumphs. We usually don’t remember or focus on the good stuff… we do however tend to relive the bad. If bad thoughts or feelings arise during these exercises, just some of the techniques from the last weeks to keep them under control. This week, you will need to spend at least fifteen minutes a day focusing on the good!  In this exercise, you will need to keep a running list and add to it each day. If bad memories, failures or disappointments come up, simply set them aside and remind yourself that this is about the good and the positive. It is not the time to dwell on old wounds.

WEEK SEVEN: TAKE TIME TO HONOR YOUR TALENT

Many people think that talents are somehow reserved for gifted people in the entertainment field. When they hear the word “talented” they think of great singers, dancers, actors, artists, designers, or musicians. Although it is true that being exceptionally good at singing, dancing, acting, painting, designing, sculpting or playing an instrument means to be talented in those areas, to stop there is to limit the meaning of the word “talent”. Beyond the scope of the performing arts, talented people can be found in the areas of science, humanities, teaching, management, construction, social interactions, medicine, spirituality, communication, politics and philosophy.

This culture does not focus much on talented people in areas other than the performing arts. This is a great injustice to the millions of profoundly gifted people who share their talents everyday, and in doing so make this world a happier, healthier and more loving place to be.

For this week you are going to focus on your talents and on discovering just how powerful and healing your personal gifts are. This may be hard for you. You may have been taught to be modest or to be shy and retiring with respect to your abilities. You may have been told that to have a sense of pride is to be a braggart or to be haughty. Now is the time to discard those old ideas of hiding your gifts and denying your personal strengths.

Emotionally healthy people can acknowledge their talents and abilities. They have assurance that their gifts are a treasure and they enjoy sharing them. They can feel pleasure in the acknowledgement of what they are good at. They do not have to brag about it to feel good but instead have a deep and personal acceptance of their gifts and a sense of internal peace and gratitude when they think about them. Emotionally healthy people can also admit to their talents when the time is right to do so. Being able to say to oneself and to others, “I am really good at this”, or “I do have a talent in that area” is not bragging. It is acknowledging a truth. We can all use a little more truth in our lives. It is time to admit the truth of your talents and to allow yourself to rejoice in them.

Caleb Cross . Denver