Here are some soul-searching questions to direct you toward discovering both the talent you possess, and the talent you are willing to pay any price to develop!

First, ask yourself the all-important purpose questions.

What do I want to do? What am I passionate about? What brings me joy and fulfillment? Am I living my personal values? Sometimes your very first thought is the answer you have been seeking! Liberate the idea that’s in your heart! Write it down! If you do, you will discover that with a little attention the idea will grow!

Belva Davis, the first black TV journalist in the Western United States said, “Don’t be afraid of the space between your dreams and reality. If you can dream it, you can make it so.”

Second, ask the vital “What If” Questions to Expand Your Horizon. What would I attempt if I knew I couldn’t fail? Most talent remains undeveloped on the trash heap of If only I had…tried that new job, achieved that degree, written that book. What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail? Think about it. Document your thoughts. Raise your expectations and dare to dream the impossible! You can get out of the box! God-given talent and desires have been placed within you to impact the world for GOOD!

According to success coach, Brian Tracy, “the key to success is to focus our conscious mind on things we desire, not things we fear.” These ‘what if’ questions will help you Identify your fears and expand your boundaries! President Franklin D. Roosevelt is famously quoted as saying, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

Third, Ask Others Their Perspective to Gain Insight

Who knows you better than your family and closest friends? Ask a friend, family member or co-worker what they perceive as your strongest characteristic, special gifting or unique ability. Write down the names of at least two people you can consult with.

Self-awareness is having a clear perception of your strengths and your weaknesses. You might be surprised at what you discover when you give others the permission to speak into your world! Remember: People pleasers will tell you what you want to hear. A true friend will tell you what you need to hear!

Have you ever asked yourself, “Why don’t I have the talent I need? If I did, I’d accomplish my goals much faster!” However, I’ve discovered that talent is never enough!  I was reminded of this during a long writing session preparing for my training seminars. It just seemed that though I love writing, if I were really good at it I would do it much faster. But I have learned in over 25 years of inspiring spiritual leaders, business people and the general public, that there are no short cuts in life! Only determined, hard work focused on a quality outcome with intentional effort will produce results that set you apart from the pack.

What is hard work? It’s not just lifting a 100-pound package or moving a pallet of bricks with your bare hands. NO! It is the discipline required to remain focused and meet your deadlines. Movie producer Stephen King says, “Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.”

What is a quality outcome? It is creating something worthy of your approval, knowing that you gave it your very best! It is working and reworking that piece so it stands out above the rest. It is being willing to re-edit, again and again, your thoughts and dreams! It is raising the bar and setting your goal even higher when you think you’ve already finished!

What is intentional effort? It is deliberately putting your energy levels to the test when your body, your mind and even your friends say, “Ah, you can finish tomorrow,” or “is this really worth all the effort?”

Tomorrow I will be asking some “Soul-Searching Questions” that will direct you toward discovering both the talent you possess, and the talent you are willing to pay any price to develop!

Today we continue asking some questions to help inspire the creativity in your heart:

Fourth: How do you create? Ponder these questions: Are you an avid reader? Do you enjoy researching your subject? Get busy absorbing and discovering ideas for your creative passion!

Fifth: Who helps you create? Do you work best when collaborating with others? Does a team stimulate your creativity? What talented individuals have you included in your creative process?

Sixth: Where do you best create?  To answer this question let’s briefly review our CULTIVATE YOUR CREATIVITY series:

Your Environment can stimulate Creativity: Your 5 senses are a great gateway for creativity!

Adversity can be a Catalyst for your Creativity: Remember, having problems is not the issue, but thinking your life should be without problems is…

Next, recognize that the Power of a Positive Thought can open your future to bright possibilities!

Acknowledge that Creativity IS a Cognitive Thought Process: You can develop discipline of thought to master your creativity.

Remember: Stimulate Your Creativity to ACTION. A sense of urgency will motivate your creativity! Times of crisis can cultivate your creativity!

Why do you create? When do you create? What do you create? How do you create and where do you create? Answering these questions can ultimately alter your attitude toward creativity!

Creativity requires both inspiration and discipline. Here are some questions for you to consider. Take a sheet of paper and jot down your thoughts and responses:

First: Why do you create? What is your purpose? Do you create for the applause of the crowd? Or to be the center of attention? Certainly, the attention will fade and focus will be redirected towards someone else.

Second: What are your creating? This is where your project begins and where practicality adds definition to your creativity. Value your ideas. Record your thoughts. Celebrate small milestones! Go to my Live Your Dream series to help YOU further develop your dream!

Third: When do you create? Many people wait for a moment of inspiration to create. Professional writers know that each day they must create. Professionals work to deadline – NOT to pleasure!

REMEMBER: YOU create the habit and the repetition forms the creativity. Ask yourself what habits of creativity work best for you? Do you find yourself most creative in the morning or in the evening?  The Bottom Line: Know your own body rhythms and develop disciplines that support your creativity!

I remember one of our events just north of the Arctic Circle in the city of Murmansk. A hockey rink had been secured for our conference. The main speaker had only one request – that we would NEVER put him on a platform that didn’t allow seating directly in front. When I arrived at the venue just hours before our opening, I was horrified to find that NOT ONE chair had been placed in front of the platform.

I had less than 2 hours to find seating, and the owner of the stadium was not in the mood to help. Glancing at the platform, I recall seeing dozens of risers stacked to the side. Seeing my solution, I directed the workers to distribute the risers across the open floor. The audience quickly filled them up just before the speaker arrived. The owner of the stadium was so impressed with our innovative thinking that by the next morning he had filled the floor with hundreds of chairs free of charge, commenting, “if these people wanted seating this badly – I was determined to give them the best!”

REMEMBER: Sometimes the simplest solution is the best solution.

As a young businesswoman I remember sitting at my desk after having just received accolades for a very successful business deal that people of my age seldom experienced.

The president of the bank and my peers thought it was amazing, yet I sat there thinking, “I’ve obtained what people seek after for years…but is this what I want to do with the rest of my life??”

As I was pondering this decision the phone rang. It was a local pastor calling, and I remember telling him, “Funny you should call right now…I am pondering what to do with the rest of my life.” I recall his words so clearly.  He simply said, “Let peace be the umpire of your heart.”

Hanging up the phone, I leaned back and thought, “Stay here? For the rest of my life?” NO joy, NO Peace! And in that moment I decided to pursue a second career. Perhaps today, you need courage to follow your heart.

Consider this: My mother-in-law always said, work at your career for 5 years, and if you find yourself bored, then do something else. Her observation: boredom was the great thief of happiness.

Life is too short to be bored!

I recently read an article in the Huffington post entitled: Redefining Happiness in India. In the article a young doctor stated,

“As Indian Americans, we have grown up hearing stories from our parents about how they left India in search of a better life. They came to the West to create new opportunities for themselves and for generations to come.

The younger generations have found more opportunities, more amenities and more comfort. But somewhere in always striving for more, we have also become more discontent.  We have started asking the questions, “what brings real happiness?” and “what is the definition of a good life?”

She concluded that this is happiness:

– To STOP constantly thinking of ourselves and to find joy in service.

– To look WITHIN for problem solving instead of finding short term joy in outside things.

– To share our joy by sharing with others.

If you look on the outside of my passport you will see that I am an American Citizen; however, when you look inside, it becomes obvious that I am a citizen of the world. And frankly, I have earned each nation stamp as each culture has indelibly etched its image upon my soul! Whether I experienced success or failure, often in many of these nations a sudden crisis brought out my highest level of creativity!  I AM a richly woven tapestry of POSSIBILITY THINKING! And you can be too!

First, SPEND TIME WITH CREATIVE PEOPLE

Whether you are at home, school or busy at the office, spend time with ‘creatives’. These unique souls have practiced the art of turning chaos into beauty and problems into possibilities. Maya Angelou says, ““You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”

Second, LOOK FOR THE OBVIOUS

As the old saying goes… sometimes the answer is right under your nose. In other words, we don’t always need a creative idea but sometimes we just need to choose the most practical or obvious solution.

Third, BE UNREASONABLE.  Always give yourself a minute to think! Think beyond what you consider logical!

Fourth, PRACTICE MENTAL AGILITY.

Being open to spontaneous thought is key to cultivating creativity. I dare you to break free from the rigidity of common thinking and everyday expectation! INNOVATION IS INSPIRING!

Fifth, SEE PROBLEMS AS OPPORTUNITIES!

Creativity is fueled when you replace the word problem with opportunity! ‘Opportunity’ is that moment when you decide, no opposition, poverty, or weakness can hold you back!

According to the Holy Scriptures, King Solomon was considered to be the wisest and richest king who ever lived. He had all the power, riches, wine and women he could ever desire. He pursued the essence of happiness, and his sad conclusion is found in a book called Ecclesiastes. He found only emptiness. His verdict on pursuing happiness? Who needs it!

We conclude that he was searching for happiness in all the wrong places. If that’s so, where do we find happiness? Many have reached the same conclusion as Augustine, a powerful 3rd-century noble, who pursued women and wine. He said, “Indeed, man wishes to be happy even when he so lives as to make happiness impossible!”

Walking down one of the streets he had frequented before, a local harlot called out, “Augustine, it is I! It is I!” Augustine responded, “It is not I! It is not I!” Why? He had discovered a new identity for himself!

One of my most important life-experiences came as I was helping Jean, a woman who attended our weekly feeding program. Our local city had issued a notice that she was to clean up her property or they would haul off all her possessions. What was so tragic is that although she owned a beautiful home, she lived on the front porch!  You could not even find a pathway through her home. Though she was a gentle soul with a love for nature and a concern for suffering people, she had a serious mental struggle.

Our local outreach group organized a team to clear her property—not an easy job, since to her, everything seemed valuable. I remember sitting on the street curb, dirty from head to foot, picking up seeds that had just spilled from her pouch.  At that moment, a carload of young people careened by and they shouted, “Look at the street people!” Then I realized—they were talking about me! But as my eyes caught Jean’s, I saw joy—because someone cared enough to help her pick up her little seeds.

I have carried that experience with me to over 60 nations. Why? A well-lived life is a life engaged with serving others! If you are sad or depressed, remember there is always someone else who is sadder and more depressed than you. So go out and get busy interacting with others!

Then, as Jesus said, you will discover there is no greater love than to lay down your life for another! (John 15:13) The Dalai Lama said “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”

True human value is not found in serving yourself, but in serving others!