Use Your Talents Generously

When we give of ourselves generously – share our talents and abilities – it can come back to us in unexpected ways. Alice, an acquaintance of mine, was quite unhappy about being out of work. When her friend, who was also jobless, asked for help in putting a resume together, Alice was reluctant to do so. She felt that if she helped her, there would be one more person competing for a job she might be interested in. But she cared for her friend and didn’t feel right about refusing. Alice asked for advice from another friend, who counseled, “If you stop sharing your talents out of fear, you won’t feel good about yourself.” So Alice decided to help.

Six months later, her friend landed a great job working for a large computer company. But she never forgot Alice’s help. When an opening came up for an administrative assistant in another department, she highly recommended Alice. As we give generously, we are often surprised by the gifts that come our way.

How have you recently shared your talent with someone in need?

Excerpt from In Her Power: Reclaiming Your Authentic Self