Have you ever been asked what your unique qualities are?
Have you ever wondered what differentiated you from others in your industry?
If you were asked, would you have had the ability to come up with something?
At a meeting this week I was asked this question. Initially I couldn’t think of anything to say. “I love what I do.” “I’m really good at what I do.” Those were my first thoughts, yet they seemed feeble and applicable to so many, so clearly not a differentiator.
As others spoke, I remembered what I have said so often to my patients, students, and clients. We are the greatest gift we bring to our clients. Hundreds, if not thousands, do what we do. We are the differentiating factor and what makes us unique is our collection of life experiences and how we chose to go through them.
As I thought about it, as a teacher, coach/consultant, and speaker, what I bring to the table is my ability for unconditional love. My ability to see the soul of each person I work with. Not getting caught in the masks and illusions so many try to project is a gift not everyone possesses.
So, my uniqueness:
- Having been a Catholic nun and learned so solidly of the divinity in each of us
- Coming from South Boston, or Southie, and learning how to be upfront
- Being an international airline stewardess back in the day when we were the Victoria Secret models of our time – living an outrageous lifestyle few could ever imagine. (Sorry, I can’t make the dinner party, I’ll be in Paris Thursday night.)
They are each a somewhat unique experience yet together they create a life story few others, if any, could ever have.
As one of my clients has said, “You hold my heart while you kick my ass.” Holding her heart, a well-learned skill, kicking her ass when she plays powerless or stuck, (welcome to Southie) and calling her to live outrageously as the amazing leader she is, shows my stewardess is alive and well. My life story (which contains so much more than these three examples) along with my training, education, and years of experience in the field are what I bring to the table.
What do you bring to the table?
Can you give yourself credit for it?
Can you see the exquisite uniqueness, and relish in it, that makes you, you?
Do you see that the lessons learned, along with the experiences that taught you those lessons, have created this amazing soul that is you?
Humility is imperative; it says you are gloriously unique yet never special. Humility is also truth. It calls you to own the person you have chosen to become.
Take credit for it. Thank God and yourself for the choices you have made, the roads you have traveled, and the end results.
We are never done but this growth thing is a blessing beyond words. It allows the gift of a life that is filled with adventures, occasional brick walls and the realization that we are more than capable of walking around them, and the excitement of knowing that the future is unknown, but we are more than capable of living through it and coming out smiling,
Your unique skills and the gift of faith make everything possible. Your task is simply to luxuriate in both.
Enjoy the adventure of the upcoming week. It’s an unopened gift waiting to be discovered.
