Everyone has a gift.

Gifts are for sharing. This is a principle and the key quality expressed by a gift. Gifts are for sharing. When someone shares her gift people smile, either inside or out. People do not smile enough (either inside or out). This is a characteristic of your communities today that people do not smile enough either inside or out. There is more than one reason for this. A central reason why people do not smile enough is that children are not discovering their gifts. They grow into adults not having discovered their gifts and many die not having discovered their gifts. Children are not discovering their gifts because they are taught to be in-wanting. They are also taught to be in-knowing. Some children are not discovering their gifts because the are wounded.

Today, the primary invitation addressed to children is be in-wanting. They sense this from their parents and teachers and they hear this invitation directly from the community.  In other communities your children are in-wanting for food, shelter, nutrition, safety. In other communities they are taught to be in-knowing. These children experience little freedom on thought and expression. They are taught to trust no one outside their community. In still other communities children are taught to compete, to be the best. In this way the adults around them – parents and teachers, those in-charge – believe they are helping the children reach their full potential. Of course this is a dilemma because by definition only a few, a very few, can be best. Even if this were a way to have children “reach their full potential” it only works for a few! What about all the other children who are not best?

Gifts have nothing to do with being best, or having a talent, or reaching your full potential. People are only being encouraged to reach their full potential because there is a concern this will not happen naturally.

1. Growth is a natural process. Part of growth, part of the natural process of growth is for children to discover their gift.
   

2. 
   

So many of you sense that you and your children are not reaching your full potential. This is a collective awareness and whether you wish to be aware of this, it is not just about your children. Children are affected in every community across the planet. It might be helpful for you to pretend this situation is a disease, that has spread to all your children. Some are affected more deeply than others.

Some of you will say, “This is not true of my community. We hold our children well. They are in-learning. They are discovering their gifts. Out teachers hold them well.” To these communities I would say if we were in conversation, Yes this is hard work built with intention. I deeply appreciate your intention for your children, your invitation to your children and your hard work. For your work, everyone in the community is enriched. I would continue and say your work is not complete. I would remind them all children across the planet are connected. My question is this, “Is your work complete? Is you work complete when the world that exists today is one in one in which the quality of a child’s life depends on where she is born? Whether a child discovers her gift depends on where she is born.  This would be a difficult conversation  with the community who holds their children well. I do no wish to in any way not fully acknowledge them.

What is a Gift?

A gift is an energy, which is expressed by a person (old or young). It is expressed and shaped into a form. A gift is meant to be shared in relationships, families, communities. The word gift does not mean gifted, or better-than, or special, or pure; nor does it mean talented.

Imagine for a moment each child comes into the world able to express a single note of music. This expression of the note is wonderful. Everyone smiles, inside or out, when they hear ore receive then energy of this note. People learn to express their note in different ways. The instruments they chose to express note vary from person to person. Some people change the form they use to express their note. Some express their note without instruments. When people come together and share their note with one another partnerships are formed based on in-learning. As more people share their note, music is formed – wonderful melodies of growth and healing. Communities are rich with music as more people share their notes. People (adults and children) love to share their note and hear others share. Everyone is smiling inside and outside. This can happen in a family or in a classroom.  When it does these families and classrooms are easy to recognize because everyone is smiling inside and out.

1. A gift is an energy that is expressed in a form. If a child discovers a talent that she truly enjoys of her own free will it is possible that she will use this talent to express her gift. However a talent is not a gift.
   

If someone is a gifted artist is this her gift? If her work touches many people, speaks to them is this her gift? Only she could answer the question. For example a very talented musician has a gift to listen to the earth. Through her music she puts people in touch with the earth. are the creators — no longer children.

Why is there so much confusion about a person’s gift? Discovering and sharing your gift is part of fully being yourself. Remember this is an important question – Are you fully being yourself? The first quality of this question is that only you can answer the question. No help is allowed from other voices, whether these voices live inside your energetic body (received from other people in the form of teaching) or they are voices around you in your family, classroom or community.

Surrounding you in your communities are many people and much energy saying to you “You cannot be complete unless…” You cannot be complete unless you own this. You cannot be complete unless you do this or follow me. You cannot be complete unless you have a partner who does this… Follow these rules and you will be complete.” Now maybe I sound to you like one of these people, when I say you are not complete until you discover your gift. I offer these images to you without attachment or expectation. Sense and decide for yourself.

How Do I Discover My Gift?

Since many do not discover their gift in childhood the question arises how do I discover my gift? The journey of discovery is different for everyone. Discovering your gift is not a test. You cannot pass or fail. Children do not go around saying –“where is my gift? Is this it? Is this it? Or “please, please tell me what my gift it.” This would be trying to discover your gift by being in-knowing. Children also do not go around searching for their gift as if it were lost. A gift cannot be lost it is always with you. Children do not naturally compete or compare gifts (unless they have been taught this). So simply be in-learning. Remember gifts are for sharing. This is not a prize, nor is there a reward for discovery.

When gifts are present and being shared the quality the energy of the message Take Care is present. People are helping one another. Children are helping one another. The energy of helping is present in relationships, in a family, in the classroom. So try being helpful. Notice I say helpful not help others. Try “small acts of kindness.” Small acts of kindness occur naturally when people are in-learning.

1. 1.There are qualities to cultivate and movements to explore which are helpful. It should not be a surprise when I say be in-learning. This is a natural movement, a way of being for children. So this is a good place to start.
   

2. 2.Receive the energy of others gifts. Spend time with people who are “standing in the middle of their gift.” When someone is “standing in the middle” of her gift there is a strong invitation for your gift to come forward.
   

3. 3.Pondering is also helpful. Ponder the nature of your gift. Notice your passions. Notice when you are smiling and when you invite others to smile.
   

4. 4.Ask for feedback from a learning partner. Do not expect that your partner will name your gift and hand it to you. For this would be rare. Learn from them. Listen to them and ponder what they notice about you. Listen for the qualities underneath or attached to their descriptions of you.