Share and Shine
Do you have talents you don’t always share?
Or gifts you forget their worthiness?
Last weekend my friend and I put on a valentine variety show fundraiser for our local theater. People shared their time, talent, and resources to make it a huge success! I loved watching the community come together - from local businesses to local artists - all to help us keep this little dusty theater that we love remain alive and well.
This little gem is important to me because it’s a place where my friends and I can share our gifts. It’s a place we go to practice our talents. A place where we spend time together. Fostering creativity we create characters, sing our hearts out, dance to the beat, sob on cue and crack well timed jokes - all for the love of it. For the crowd, for the energy and for our community, we volunteer and share what we have to offer.
Pre-Show Flash Mob dancing Downtown Loveland
Even between my dearest friend/co-director and partner in valentine crime, it’s a collaboration of our gifts. The perfect merge of our blood, sweat, tears, and talents both on and off the stage, we partner together to create something truly special. It’s hard work, but it is beautiful.
When we were planning the show and figuring out where we would participate (he has a beautiful voice, so he planned a duet) My dance partner from last year couldn’t make it, and I remember sharing with him that maybe I didn’t need to dance. I didn’t want to take up space. I wasn’t sure it would be worth the effort and I started doubting if it was anything anyone would want to see. But - he encouraged me to share my gift, every time I brought it up.
Side note: I’m so thankful for friends who do things like that. The ones that cheer you on because they actually love what you have to offer the world. Keepers, they are!
It got me thinking how so many of us have gifts but often shrink back from using them. We might be afraid to let ourselves shine or we don’t realize we even have gifts to offer. Many of us have quieter talents that may not be a performing art, but they are definitely gifts that bring happiness to ourselves and to others.
For example:
Maybe you are super thoughtful, you think about people AND you actually text/call them in that moment. It’s such a blessing to the person on the receiving end. That’s a GIFT! Or, perhaps you are really good at taking care of others, getting crafty, hemming a dress (short people say Amen!), remembering peoples birthdays, organizing a closet, baking sugar cookies, being the listening ear, the volunteer all star…the list goes on and on.
Like when my husband folds towels and linens, I fall in love with him all over again because he does it so well. Sigh.
This is not actually our closet. But, it gets the feeling across :)
If you aren’t sure what yours talent per say is, I would encourage you to think about something that comes naturally to you that maybe doesn’t come as naturally to others. Something that when you exercise it, it brings you or others joy or peace.
And if you are STILL having trouble, ask a friend.
We often see in others what they are capable of LONG before they can see it in themselves.
Needless to say I am SO glad I listened to my friend and danced in our show. I ended up partnering with someone who could do a style I’ve always wanted to try.
Just so that you know I STILL had to over come fear of getting hurt (this girl has 3 knee surgeries inter back pocket) while trying new moves I’ve never done before. And, I had to battle negative thoughts like “am I too old to do things like this…?”
The importance of pushing past those for me was worth it because not only did I dance, but I proved to myself I could learn something new. We used a song that was inspiring - and performing it ended up bringing me so much joy!
I’m so thankful for my friend’s prodding.
A photo of us right before our show started and the talent sharing began!
SOOOOO…..
Whatever stumbling block you may have in the way, it is vital to push it out of the way and do the things you were made to do. And when doubt arises, we have to remind ourselves that what we have to offer is meaningful!
Imagine if you didn’t show up at the hospital with your balloons, didn’t stand up for others, didn’t pick up the phone, didn’t provide that hug and listening ear?
We can have a BIG impact, but we have to try. Sometimes we have to battle insecurity to lean into those gifts and that is okay. It’s not always easy to do the things, but don’t let it stop you!
So, I lovingly pass the mic to you. Will you let yourself shine a little?
There are so many gifts that make the world go ‘round, I’d love to challenge us all to use them. Consider ways where you might practice your God given gifts in your pocket. The world is certainly a better place when you do!
Little or big, when we choose to use our talents - we honor who we are. And when we share our gifts with others, we create community.
Which then creates joy…
which leads to a life we love!
I’ll leave you with this funny quote my sister sent me this morning:
“If you ever thought you were too small to have an impact, then you’ve never been in a dark room alone with a mosquito.”
Cheering for you always…
Now, go get em mosquitos!
XO
Jenna
Click below to watch my dance if you’d like to see it…
PS. Share on this post what your gift is, known or hidden and how you plan to use it!
