Talents....

My sister and I were talking last week about how we each feel a little lost when it comes to deciding what our specific talents really are...or if they even qualify as talents. Everybody is good at something...at least that's what I believe! So...how come I have such a hard time deciding if I really am gifted at something? You see, the problem is I'm always comparing myself to someone else who does what I consider my "talent" even better than I do. I realize the whole problem with my system of talent identification is indeed the fact that I compare myself to every single person on the entire planet others when I really just need to focus on what it is I feel like I do well. It shouldn't matter if someone else does it better than me!

This whole discussion also got me thinking about what a talent really is. Why do we only hold up certain "talents" and not others. Is it that it's more appealing to a wide array of audiences to say something like your talent is in music? Because...who doesn't like music? Who doesn't admire that sort of talent? Oh, or if your talent happens to be that you are athletic...now that's a sexy talent! Right?? You know I'm right! I mean who wants their talent to be something lame like "I'm a good closet organizer", or better yet "I'm really good at...cleaning", "list-making", "dinner planning", "problem solving", "creative meal planning for toddlers". Yup, THOSE things don't sound very interesting to most people. HOWEVER, I'm here to tell you those boring things are indeed what I'm good at. The truth is, I may not be the very BEST at those things, but I don't have to be! All I have to do is accept that I AM good at some things, and appreciate & enjoy them.

While I'm certain that somewhere out there in this big world there is a woman that is 10 times the closet organizer that I am , that's OK, because I still like my closets! Seriously, I can't be all things to all people & I don't want to be. I also don't want to constantly compare my life to someone else. That never brings happiness or contentment. So, for now I'll have to bring you stories, tips, and tricks from my little corner of this world. I'll let you know my secrets for organizing your medicine cabinets, refrigerator, kid closets, toy chests, and linen closets. I'll share my favorite dinner recipes, cookie recipes, cake decorating tricks, breastfeeding information, natural childbirth tips, and what foods I love to eat when I train for marathons. THOSE are the areas where I've got a little know-how & a few good years of experience. I'll never claim to be an expert in those areas (except for maybe how to cure mastitis...it's a long story!), but I have to give myself credit for the things I feel like I do well. If you want to know how to keep your plants alive, sew some fancy curtains, or how to deal with your moody teenager....I can't help you there!

I also have to celebrate my small victories every week & pat myself on the back when I feel like I'm getting something right (like my meal planning list this week!). I know it's not going to be as impressive as someone who can run the 100m in 10 seconds, or as neat and tidy as the anal-retentive organizing chick from HGTV who labels all her kitchen spices with a calligraphy pen and puts them in matching glass jars & stacks them alphabetically, but I've never felt compelled to be that person. I'm just "me" & that's what I'm pretty darn good at being. :-)