Everywhere we go we meet people with different gifts and talents, and stuff they love doing. No matter what, everyone has something. I’ve met people who say without blinking an eye that they were born with not even a single talent and you know what I tell them? That’s not true.

I have friends who are masons, bricklayers, designers, tailors, stylists, hair dressers and more. These are people who do what they love doing. They don’t work the traditional 9-5 jobs – they are more than that. As you quickly scan through this post I need you to think deeply – what is it you love doing?

Step 1: Identify Your Gift.

I love doing stuff. So many things. That doesn’t mean that I’m gifted at them.

It takes time and determination as well as practice, but once you’ve mastered it, you will be able to channel your income and experience into developing that gift.

Have you been able to identify yours?

Step 2: Using Your Gift.

If you don’t use something, it wears out. It’s one of the indisputable laws of nature. When I choose to stay away from my guitar for a week, I feel like I’m losing something. If you are a writer, write often. If you are into any form of art, use it at least once a week. I love to play around with Photoshop and Dreamweaver. I love learning new things. It’s impossible to develop your gift if you choose to remain where you are.

How do you use your gift?

Using your gifts can be in various ways, but the point is that you have to use it. If you have a brand new car, if you don’t drive it, it’s gonna rust someday, no matter how new it is. That’s the point of buying the car. It’s so that you can move around.

• God gave you a voice. How do you use it? You could choose to be a radio presenter or a singer.
• God gave you a beautiful body. What’s bad in being a model?
• You gossip a lot, and no matter how hard you try, you can’t seem to stop. Don’t worry; it may be a git. How do you use it? Be a news reporter.

When I discovered my love for writing, it was in Summer 1998. The then Nigerian Head of state, Sani Abacha had just passed away. Words kept pouring in my head like I had them stored up somewhere. I knew then that my writing was beyond the ordinary. And so far, I’ve never stopped. I keep writing. Poems. Books. Articles. I keep using it.

Use your gift. And use it well.

In the end, it will pay off well.

It’s something I also plan to do!

Step 3: Investing Your Gift.

I’m one who loves to stay away from religious stuff – when it’s not necessary – but one of the things I believe in is God. And part of what I believe in is the Bible. There’s a part which says that

“Have you seen a man who is diligent in his gifts? He will stand before kings and not mean men.”

Charging cash to display my gifts was something I found very hard to do at first, until I worked on my mentality. You were given that gift for a reason. It may be a divine plan to get you out of the fix that life had planned for you. Or it could be the main way for you to become the next superstar. The point is getting off your high horse and making some money. That’s the essence of this post. Until I learnt to charge a fee to design or perform, I was at the same level for years. You’ve got to move forward. Move on.

If all you have was your gift…

I’m not even sure I understand sh** about some protocols and the way some things are: but there are principles even I don’t even play with. The fact is that no one came with you into this world, and no one will leave with you when you leave.

It’s time you oughta start looking out for yourself. Discover your gift and potential. Conquer. Excel. Be everything you were born to be.

Regards.

Z