(Dang, once again I typed out the bones of this last night, went down to hang out at the cookie party [see my Live video #370] and just didn’t finish this up!)
Have you ever had a talent that you didn’t use and then lose it?
That’s what happens to all of us, especially for talents you had to develop over time.
For me, it was the ability to speak with the tongue of an angel…or the “gift of Aaron”, if you read the Old Testament.
I prayed and worked for the ability to express my ideas in a compelling way, and I did that for a long time. There was a time I could basically get almost anyone to think, say or do what I wanted simply by getting them to think it was THEIR idea in the first place.
Funny enough, one of the ways I used to do this was by using the least used form of “influence” (and there’s 36 others): being influenced.
Most people get the feeling they’re being manipulated or controlled if you come on too strong. So, you just:
- Ask lots of questions based on the answers they give,
- Restate the person’s feelings (not their words),
- Be super nice & supportive, and
- Ask more questions that would lead the person to come up with their own answers
To witness this being done is an incredible sight to behold. Part of the reason this works so well is because most people glorify the idea of “debate” as being some kind of virtue, when in reality, any brainless monkey can argue. But not 1 in 10,000 people knows how to listen and have the emotional fortitude to allow themselves to be inluenced by the other person.
Once a person feels understood, miracles happen.
At any rate, I’ve lost the ability to influence people and the capacity to speak well in social situations. Thank goodness I still have the wherewithal to completely change when I stand at a podium to speak in front of an audience. I know how to NOT be too boring.
Too bad that doesn’t translate into being authoritative, interesting, compelling, and fluid when doing my daily Live videos, or participate in business meetings, or just in general!
Getting old talents back
If we really want a talent back, we just have to practice…but there’s more to it than that. You have to want it, pray/meditate on it, and study it; by that I mean: read books, watch Youtube videos, hire a coach.
I’m considering putting in a bit of effort by reading out these blog posts in a mini-podcast and/or prepping a 1 minute live vid each day ON TOP of the daily longer video I do each night.
It’s a thought I send out into the aether. Maybe that angel-tongue will make a come back.
What about you? Any talents you wish you had again?
- Ep92-How Do You Deal With Toxic People? - March 12, 2020
- Ep91-Do Your Powers Astonish You? - March 10, 2020
- Ep90-Do You Stand Up To Obstacles? - March 9, 2020
👍i use to do alot of sketching myself along with writing back in the day . Thanks for sharing
Oh, so those were your past talents? I’ll bet you’re still great at both. Ever thought of writing/illustrating a children’s book? 🙂