On Fire: Finding Your Gift And Using It

I know regret. Really well. Open doors I walked through turned out to have ugly surprises—a contentious boss, a backstabbing friend, or a guy who just wanted to use me. A new city I thought was the pot at the end of the rainbow revealed a culture not suited to my sensitivities. Worse, people I…

I made an illegal U-turn. Shortly thereafter a cop pulled up behind me and turned on his flashing lights. “I saw what I did as I was doing it,” I told him, owning up to my error before he accused me. The policeman was inquisitive. Along with the usual, “Do you still live at so…

Are people ignoring you or being inconsiderate? Treating you like your input doesn’t matter, or you don’t even exist? Stop what you are doing right now and, instead, do your Work. Your Work–with a capital “W”–is the thing you were born to do. Your purpose. It’s what you may keep putting off, but it’s always…

Every creative journey begins with a problem…Before we can find the answer—before we probably even know the question—we must be immersed in disappointment, convinced that a solution is beyond our reach…Before Bob Dylan could reinvent himself, writing the best music of his career, he needed to believe that he had nothing left to say.            …

No two snowflakes are the same.  Every person is special. There will never be another person born exactly like you. You know this. But you wonder about: – Your ADHD making it impossible to sit at attention for very long. – Or your Bipolar Disorder causing you to be both charming and a source of…

It’s crazy. Our true personhood and calling flow from desiring to give something of ourselves to help others. However, others are also the #1 squelcher of our personhood and calling. How so? Abusive authority figures teach us to watch our backsides in order to survive. We learn to continually scan faces and body language for…

Do you know who you are?  Grab a pen and write your answers: 1. What do I love? 2.  What do I hate? 3.  What are my key personality traits? 4. What are my top talents? 5. I get the most fulfillment when I do this: 6. My dream—my big wish for my life is:…

You’ve tried and tried. Rattled doors. Researched, strategized and planned. Pushed forward. Worked. Hoped and prayed. But nothing seems to get traction. Your dream is going nowhere. You feel empty and alone. Broken-hearted. Here’s what to do: for today (and longer if you can), return to being childlike: 1) Play. Act out of basic, intrinsic…

Perhaps you thought when you grew up you’d inherit your father’s business. Carrying on the family legacy would be your contribution to bettering the world. But it didn’t happen. Maybe you planned to be a wife and mom with a bunch of kids and you would fulfill your purpose by having a wonderful family. It…

When it comes to being real and giving the Gift we’re here to give, there are two tactics that don’t work—and two that do. 1. Shame.  It doesn’t work. Growing up, shame was the tool of choice for adults—parents, teachers, and clergy— who wanted something from someone, especially those beneath them. Not surprisingly, I learned…

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