Everyone Has Purpose

I believe that this blog is for everyone out there, a prayer of hope for all. All of the ordinary, average people, as well as the people that are spread along both sides of life’s up and down curve. People with problems. People without. People that are considered beautiful. People that are not. Intellectual scholars. Artists. Dancers. Writers. Sports people. Dreamers. All people. Each of us is unique, wonderful. All of us have something to give to the world. Don’t let the world stop you from giving and being yourself. We are all part of this great big wonderful place. We all have our own talents to give. Don't hide your talents, use them.

Examples From Nature

Consider some examples from nature: A dragonfly flits about on double gossamer wings, alighting next to water for a brief instant and then darting to the next resting spot. A butterfly bounces daintily through the air on soft flapping wings, floating and bobbing around and is buoyed upwards momentarily, seeming to catch the next breeze, before floating gently downwards. Each has its own beauty. To some the bulbous eyes of a dragonfly might seem ugly, but to others they are amazing creatures, and of course another dragonfly will see beauty. I marvel at how dragonfly wings sparkle in the sun. Examples of nature's wonderful design are everywhere around us. Each species fits perfectly into its niche, like part of a giant puzzle. Ants that form a symbiotic relationship with aphids on a twig, plants pollinated by bees, lions that keep the population of impala in check. Often if one species is removed from an ecosystem, some part is affected. Imagine if bees did not exist? There are examples too when things go out of kilter. Introducing foreign species into areas where they never existed before sometimes has unfortunate consequences, as these foreign species may have no natural predators. An example is the introduction of cane toads to Australia. Their population is exploding and advancing in a march across the mainland and they are negatively impacting native wildlife. Cane toads were never designed to live in Australia, but they are a successful species that have few natural predators. 

Cheetahs Versus Lions

Cheetah are designed for short sprints across African savannah. They stalk their prey by stealth, usually on their own, and then rely on their amazing burst of speed to bring prey down. Lions on the other hand are team workers, who send a few members to flank their prey, and then use their strength in numbers to outrun their prey. The more specialised cheetah unfortunately has difficulty adapting to areas it is not designed for. It cannot sprint in overgrown areas and needs to live in areas where it can hunt in the open. What amazing predators these animals are, each in their different ways. 

Different Types Of Intelligence and Talents

I use the above examples as analogy for the talents each of us has, and our individual adaptability in using these. Some of us have talents in a specialised role, for example some people can sing really well, but are not very good at academic work. Consider that I heard a comment that all Elvis could do was sing - I ask "did he need to be good at anything else"? What an amazing legacy he left to the world. Others seem to be good at a variety of different things, but not one thing in particular. Some people are good only at solitary work, and in others teamwork allows them to reach unimaginable heights as a group. There are different types of intelligence. None are better than the other, as each has a part to play in the world's puzzle. I believe empathy may be a talent, a gift for working with people. I've known some of the most amazing caring people who are unfortunately seen as unintelligent by others. But the caring people I know have an amazing knack to notice when someone is feeling under the weather, and can listen and understand someone's heart. There are examples of autistic people who cannot interact and express their feelings normally, yet display amazing talents and add a new dimension to the world. An example of someone like this is Stephen Wiltshire (http://www.stephenwiltshire.co.uk/) who draws amazing replicas of buildings and city scapes, often from recall. Would the world seem an emptier place without Stephen Wiltshire? Would we notice his talent was missing? We can only miss something we know about. If Stephen Wiltshire had never brought his talents to light, we would not know we were missing anything. 

Everyone Has Something To Give

This is a lesson for all of us to find our talents and put them into play. If you think you have nothing to give, you are wrong. We all have talents, we might just not know what they are yet. Everyone is good at something. Everyone has their own type of intelligence. Make sure you do use your talents. Never doubt yourself and your abilities. Try not to be discouraged by people telling you that using your talents is impossible or that you have nothing to give. Discover talents you may not know about, use your talents, and move beyond the boundaries of others' perceptions. Often chance encounters with sports or music sets us on our paths for life. That's why I believe it is critically important to give all children a chance to discover their talents during their school years, and then to pursue the talents they are passionate about, as these may become their dreams. Use your talents and live your dreams.

1 Corinthians 7:7 (KJV): "For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that."

Link to related information:

• Stephen Wiltshire has teamed up with a few musicians and an organisation called "Pencils of Promise" to unlock talents in young individuals, and you can find out more about this cause and donating here: http://www.pencilsofpromise.org/madewithpencils.