The Self-Reliant Entrepreneur

September 18Find Your Gifts

But the great Master said, “I see / No best in kind, but in degree; / I gave a various gift to each, / To charm, to strengthen, and to teach. / / ”These are the three great chords of might, / And he whose ear is tuned aright / Will hear no discord in the three, / But the most perfect harmony.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow—“The Singers,” The Complete Poetical Works of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1854)

Poetry is hard to understand for a lot of people, so here's the full context of what goes on in “The Singers.” There are three musicians and people can't figure out which one is the best. So the great Master assures them they are all great for different reasons, and if you listen with that in mind, all you can hear is the most perfect harmony.

Okay, now reread the stanza and you may find it much more lyrical.

So, how do you find harmony in a world of difference? How do you find yourself and your place in the band?

Or to quote Deepak Chopra:

There are no extra pieces in the universe. Everyone is here because he or she has a place to fill, and every piece must fit itself into the big jigsaw puzzle.

Your values, the things that mean the most to you in life right now, are the keys to understanding your gifts. The musicians in Longfellow's poem employed their gifts to charm, to strengthen, and to teach.

How about you? Journal, get alone, ask your three closest friends. Don't sweat it—as long as you are actively looking, your gifts will find you.

Challenge ...