How To Discover Your Talents

According to Janet Rae-Dupree, writing in The New York Times Business Section, if you're open to growth, you tend to grow. Citing three decades of work by Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck, she draws a distinction between those of "fixed" and "growth" mind-sets.

I said duh out loud alone in front of my computer as I read the article. People who are willing to grow do.

Dr. Dweck's research has explored how people think about their own talents, skills and abilities. She's studied genius. Humans, it would seem, have a fascination with it. Also, athletic talent. Or musical prodigies.

Dr. Dweck is right. First and always come our thoughts about our talents. My experience of counseling people for more than 25 years tells me that we don't think of our talents particularly accurately at all. Fixed or growth mind-set notwithstanding, mostly we dis our talents as unimportant. Because they're ours.

How meshuganah is that?

I never met an untalented human, never. Not one. Here's why. Each is unique. Each is precious. But talent-discovery, especially if one lives with one of those fixed mind-sets, is time-consuming. It asks us for silence, for stillness, for waiting, for revelation. To discover our own talents we have to become present to ourselves.

If you want to discover your own talent pool, there's a simple method that sits in between Dr. Dweck's binary options. Put down the fixed mind-set and the growth mind-set. Both are too needy and attached to outcomes. Instead, pick up a curious mind-set. Curiosity is a far safer, more neutral energy for the art of self-discovery.

Ask yourself, just like you'd ask a new friend, "What are your talents?" Then be prepared to live the question for a while and let your best self reveal your talents to you. Yes, it will take some time, but so? Isn't it taking time to live without knowing what your talents are? What's your hurry?

Let it take as long as it takes to come to you. The process requires an assumption--that you are indeed talented. Consider doing yourself the favor you would do for almost any other person on the planet, and assume you have talents.

Talent is a wonderful thing, and the thing that fascinates me about Dr. Dweck's research is her glossed-over final observation. It matters not only how we think about our talents, but what we do about them. It's all well and good to imagine one's Carnegie Hall solo piano concert debut, but it helps to twiddle the keys in real time as well.

Talent of itself means little. Acting upon our talents is key. Spending some of your valuable time discovering your talents makes acting upon them far easier because you'll be acting on the aspects of yourself that you value and which you came to Earth to express.

Comments

[ecstewart]

Great article! Very blogworthy! I agree that everyone has talent(s) and that everyone is creative.

For those of us growing up exploring our talents, it does get tough to exploit them without the focus. I knew I could illustrate, but I needed direction. When we each know our capabilities, we can nurture them until that 'Ah-ha' moment hits. I'm now capitalizing on that 'Ah-ha' moment because I can't bring myself to work in the American defined factory model any longer.

I may not be making the money I used to, but I'm having fun living the creative life without the pressures of some white collar stiff dictating his idea of 'talent.'

http://www.ecstewart.com

[ouroborous]

Sometimes the problem is that we just don't see a USE for our talents.

I'm told that I'm a particularly gifted writer, speaker, and teacher, and that I have an ability to sway people to my viewpoint. Yay me!

However, what practical use will this EVER have? I mean, sure, I suppose I use it every time I have an argument or debate. But should I really spend a lot of time developing it?

Teachers and writers are some of the poorest-paid careers in existence, and the only other real option for me would be to be a politician -- great, so I could write soaring speeches, as long as I didn't mind lying through my teeth.

No thank you. I'll stick to being a computer programmer; at least the computer doesn't lie to you, and you don't have to lie to it. And the pay's not bad, either...

[Dr. Susan Corso - Huffpost Blogger]

Dear ouroborous, it's true. We can't always see how our talents may be used but Divinity knows perfectly how to use them. I once took a "Careers Test" and it told me I was good at speaking, listening, reading and writing. The career counseler -- Ms. Positive herself! -- said to me, "Well, I don't see how you'll EVER make a living with these!" I laughed. What do I do now? I write, I counsel, I give speeches and I read like crazy. Just what my skills are. Turn over your gifts in a neutral way . . . to be used for the Good, whatever that might mean, and watch opportunities ring your doorbell!

[Will753]

Dr. Dweck is so right about our talents. In my case I have always had a way with expressing myself on paper or speaking publicly. Unfortunately, growing up without the support I needed to help focus my attention has left them essentially unrecognized for most of my life. Lack of self- confidence and direction caused me to over look my gift of poetry, writing and speaking. Things I did with ease was difficult for most people around me.

As for other people I encounter I see hidden talents in everyone. Some have talents as I do other's can sing or dance. Still other's have a talent to reason, solve complex problems or see big pictures when others only see small pieces. Oh yeah their are some people who have the talent of manipulation. They understand human behavior like nobody's business and they use it too. You see them in business, congress, sales, car dealerships, phone companies, drug dealer's, President's, News, radio, and on our jobs either in management, supervision or the ones who start gossip and rumors to watch us less talented folkes suffer emotional damage. There seems to be a lot of those.

[Dr. Susan Corso - Huffpost Blogger]

Dear markusmarkus, this is not an uncommon situation. As (I have to assume) the parent of just such a child, the greatest gift you can give him or her is freedom from your ideas and judgments about what he or she is doing with that talent. I know it can be tough, but consider making your practice with the adult child a giving of the soul into God's purposes for that soul's being. We can't always know what that is -- especially for those we love. I'll add you to my prayers.

[markusmarkus]

Doctor, what if you have an adult child with many talents and no focus?

[JuniorBug]

I think my talent might be skimming articles on the internet!

[doug108]

And if you're racing toward middle age, jobless, and near broke, how long should you wait for an answer?

[Dr. Susan Corso - Huffpost Blogger]

Dear Doug, plenty of us are in the same boat. Consider this: you're not waiting, you're gestating and unknown blessings are on their way to you. Do whatever is in front of you and give thanks for whatever it is that you want. Susan Corso

[imfedup]

Chicks dig guys with skills.

[singermuse]

There's an obvious reason why there is so much talent that is totally invisible....because we live in a society based on the "bottom line"...."Is it marketable? and can we MAKE it marketable?" In other words can they force their so-called "product" down our throats/ears/eyes and call it culture?
We're inundated with a pseudo culture that has decided to take the reins and DICTATE to us what will be considered talent or art or literature or beauty or anything....as long as they can SELL it to us for a price and keep us from finding our own inner and outer talents, art, literature, beauty, ANYTHING.
When we take the culture BACK....then we will have another Rennaisance where everyone will be included and able to contribute. You tube and My space and these wonderful independents who do their selling/promoting on the Net without consulting the Not-so-almighty gate keepers like the multinationals who have our culture in its vice-like grip You want to be creative....everyone should be able to paint or dance or sing or play an instrument or even just yell.....art/culture/beauty/music is for everyone...not just the wealthy or the elite or the few.

[doug108]

Oh, absolutely. If it doesn't make money in this culture, it has no value.

I asked a friend a question I had heard: What would you do, if you knew you wouldn't fail?

He answered: What do you mean? Make a living at it?

The point was totally lost on him that you might want to be succesful at something for the sheer joy of it.

[Dr. Susan Corso - Huffpost Blogger]

Dear singermuse, Oh yes, the commercialization of talent, I have lived what you're talking about. For the past eleven years, I've written cross-genre healing mysteries which simply do not fit into one of those commercial boxes. Ah me. So, here's what I did. I decided to create an audiobook of the first one -- it will be out this fall. OUTSIDE the box. Box? What box? You might consider taking the passion inside of your anger and heaping it upon your gifts. We need your artistry in the world. Susan Corso

[singermuse]

Bless you Dr. Corso!
I too lived what I wrote about, and in fact was a part of the pseudo culture twenty years ago, having been involved in the music industry. The pay was great but the life was insufferable, so I walked, no, RAN to the mountains and lived in blessed obscurity that renewed my health, my spirituality, my life in general. And thankfully increased my creativity instead of quenching it.
I bless the Net too because it is creating that "Rennaisance" already as we look on.
I look forward to reading/listening to your book!

[Mort]

Nice article. Developing talents increases self esteem, character and discipline. Happier people, better society. Win, win.

[NOLIESPLEASE]

What talents???? Government has reduced the Arts to nothing !!!!! half the population is working in jobs they dispise just for the health care.....great way for a nation to express itself.

WOW , were really free aren't we??????? Oh Yea I forgot....I could buy a gun anywhere and pack!!!!! I can see clearly how this govenment wants this nation to be!!!!

[creepyJackalope]

that was by far the most off-topic ridiculous reply to anything. yeah, yeah, your're afraid of the government, blah, blah. talk about it where its relevant rather than wasting the time of others. see ya!

[dac253]

Nevermind the arts, guns and government for awhile. Vote when it's time to vote and petition your leaders when you feel the need.

For now, find out what your talents are and it can help you find a better, more enjoyable, career path.

[Dr. Susan Corso - Huffpost Blogger]

Dear No Lies, talents are not just about art, or, anything can be an art -- even blog comments! One of the hardest, and most valuable, spiritual lessons I know is that everything (without exception) is a mirror of our consciousness. That, unfortunately, includes our governments. I ask myself this: how is this administration a reflection of my desires, worries, joys, fears? Because it's in my experience, I am a part of creating it.