The Gifts We Cannot See

Why can others do things that we cannot? Why can we do things that they cannot?

For example, some people can converse with others all day long without becoming tired, irritated, or wanting to find a quiet space to escape into. It is what they do. That is a great gift. Some individuals can do amazing things with numbers. What is 235 multiplied by 46? The answer, 10,810. It almost jumps into their heads as if by magic. Others can draw with fantastic accuracy. Straight lines? Circles? Take your pick. If you ask, you discover they could do this from an early age.

The physical explanation is that our brains have many resources dedicated to our gifts. Take the simple act of walking upright. A surprising amount of the brain’s neural capacity is dedicated to it, but without that dedicated brain power, walking wouldn’t be simple or easy. And so it is with our gifts.

We often undervalue them. Why value what we can do without a moment’s thought? Being easy, we often under-appreciate their worth and end up in a career that doesn’t necessarily align with our interests. We may be good at what we do, but how much better would we have been if we had understood and followed the direction our gifts had led us? Greatness may have been attainable then. Perhaps it still is, but without the benefits of our gifts, it is less likely to be the case.

Having observed living for some time, I have come to the conclusion that there are gifts within each of us that we cannot see. It is like a positive blind spot.

Given the binary nature of existence, it is just as likely that faults exist of which we are also blind.

I once met an extremely successful computer programmer who was a genius at communicating with people. It was so effortless and artful, I thought it must be magic. Did he know? I’m not sure. He was successful in his field, most definitely, but he never went down that other road. It made me wonder.

On the other hand, I once met a great man. He could empathize with remarkable smoothness, but he used his gift in sordid ways. In the end, it ruined him.

Anyone can be outstanding if they genuinely recognize their strengths (gifts) while also acknowledging their weaknesses (faults). By doing both, one becomes whole.

Interestingly, the word “integrity” derives from the Latin integer, meaning whole or complete. It is only when we fully acknowledge and understand both our faults and gifts that we can achieve the wholeness and completeness that is integrity. It is something to consider.