“I am not quite sure when we decide that bringing our gifts to the world isn’t worth the trouble. It could be around the age of 12, when we have heard the word “no” thousands of times. Or by age 14, when we have witnessed so much of the world chaos that the media sends our way. Or maybe we’re the products of the old “children should be seen and not heard ” way of thinking. Somewhere in all of this and countless other moments, we lose sight of our core gifts and allow the erosion of life to silence us. We settle for less than we can be and become mute to the challenges we face in the twenty-first century.
The truth, however, remains unchanged – no matter what “circumstances” or “effects” you have experienced or endured. I learned long ago that “challenges” are there, in fact, to drive you inward – to your core – and the gifts you have forgotten. Webster’s Dictionary defines “gift” as a “notable capacity, talent, or endowment that is given voluntarily without thought to compensation.” Ironically, though, if you focus on your gifts, the odds are that someone will eventually compensate you for your notable capacity and talent. That compensation comes in many forms, and once you recognize your core gifts and align your life with them, you become a magnet for everything and everyone in the world that is part of your talent.”
John St. Augustine, in “Living an Uncommon Life”
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Jeff Maziarek, author of Spirituality Simplified and Codi’s Journey, launched Pondercentral.com in April 2007 as a Web-based forum for “PONDER on THIS,” a series of weekday inspirational email messages he began sending to subscribers in March 1999. A FREE service since its inception, “PONDER on THIS” provides subscribers with meaningful content to assist them on their individual paths of spiritual growth. In addition, it benefits subscribers, authors, and publishers by including links to Amazon.com where subscribers can learn more about the book being quoted, and also purchase it.
