Okay, so maybe it's not always something to celebrate, but I've made it a habit to break out the tarot cards every New Moon to reflect and make a conscious effort to make the next "moon", or month, an improvement. It's a routine that keeps me balanced, and this Libra Moon was all about balance. In fact, not just about the need for balance, but also in what ways I'm already juggling, maintaining the balancing act.
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| Two of Cups symbolizes the juggling act in order to maintain balance. Photo courtesy of Shadowscapes.com |
I've been doing this series of classes on Lynda.com by Dave Crenshaw, the first of which is called "Discovering Your Strengths". Oh, please... I've been doing these kind of evaluations all of my life. I know what my strengths are; there's just no easy way to make use of those strengths. But, it's the first in the series, and I didn't want to continue half-assed. So, I discovered my strengths. What's funny to me is how spot on my "talents" coordinate with my intended professional path: teaching college and making films. Not one or the other, mind you. I actually need the balance to help drive me forward. Like a friend once told me, it's like two people climbing really tall stairs; one pushes or pulls the other up, keeping their momentum going. But it's so difficult to show someone that I have a talent for teaching when that's not what my background is in or managing when I don't have a M.B.A. That's where I hope this exercise will come in handy.
In order to discover a "talent", one first must determine their gifts, loves, and skills. This requires a series of worksheets, evaluating multiple mentions, and then comparing the three to see if there is, in fact, a "talent". These talents can identify what you would be best at doing professionally. Below is the culmination of the three previous worksheets to show what my supposed "talents" are:
As you can see, my greatest talent is Interacting and Motivating Others/Interacting with Others/Educating and/or Managing (orange). I'm a very project-oriented person, and I prefer working with people more than technology, so I tend to manage or lead projects. But I have a strong background in education, so my talent lends itself to educating. This was a HUGE light bulb for me. Even when I was a full-time massage therapist I would take the extra time to explain my observations, what was likely going on with a client's body, and what kind of techniques they could employ between sessions to improve their progress. I was assuming the responsibility of an educator, and was sincerely disappointed when someone wouldn't be interested in the information. Don't they want to help themselves get better? Unfortunately, the answer is often "no" because they want someone else to make them feel better (which, by the by, no one can make anyone feel better, but you could allow yourself to feel better with assistance... but I digress). If I were in an environment where people knew they were there to learn, however, I think people would be much more receptive to what I have to offer.
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| The Magician of the Major Arcana represents grasping the unseen and harnessing it to become reality. This immediately made me think of my next major "step", obtaining my Master's Degree in order to qualify to teach on the collegiate level. Photo courtesy of Shadowscapes.com |
My secondary talent is quite like the first, except it's Confidently Interacting with Others/Problem Solving/Filmmaking (pink). This equation very much shows why it has been that I tend to assume the role of Producer - it is quintessentially those three things. But this talent also lends itself to being in front of the camera, since Confidently Interacting with Others/Acting/Filmmaking works well, too.
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| The Page of Wands is a creative, passionate, confident, assured and assertive person. She reminds me of what I am like when I am full of vitality and love. Photo courtesy of Shadowscapes.com |
My last major talent, circled in purple, seems to be what I'm doing now - Storytelling and Collecting Stories/Writing and Blogging/Psychology and Interpersonal Growth. This is very much what I do to be a better person, not necessarily what I do to advance professionally.
There was one final talent that I thought was noteworthy, circled in blue - Capable of and enjoys physical challenges (probably why I did massage for so long) + Interacting with Others + Philosophy and Reflection through Activity. For me, this immediately brought to mind my love of Martial Arts. I studied it as a teenager and into my early twenties, but it was difficult to keep up the practice without my dojo and without making enough money to really have a "hobby". Massage became my physical outlet, but it was never the same; it was never a challenge. Now, I've had a craving, if you will, for kickboxing. Nothing philosophical, just pushing myself physically to clear myself mentally and emotionally. This exercise definitely brought into stark light that it isn't just a passion or a gift, it's a skill, and one I do not wish to loose.
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| XX Judgement of the Major Arcana represents reawakening, hearing a call, making a judgement, and making tough choices. This card reminds me to be brave in the face of success. After all, getting what you want is scary, too. Photo courtesy of Shadowscapes.com |
What about you, dear readers? How do you reflect and motivate yourself into action? What's your preferred form of divination? How do you remind yourself of your strengths and talents?
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