Yesterday I meet a peer for coffee and was brainstorming ways to improve the content and flow of a book she's writing which is based upon her own experiences. She's had wonderful experiences and they can help light the path for others who want to have a closer connection with God.  I've been an editor/cheerleader many times before for other writers, coaches, and healers. As an intuitive, coach and writer in my own right,  I'm very good at it helping others turn ideas into something more concrete and practical.
 
Some time while I was drinking my coffee, I began to doubt my own unique gifts and abilities. I looked at the woman across the table and could see her brilliance, but not my own.  My fear-filled ego, at first said, “She's more gifted than you so don't bother finishing your own autobiographical self-empowerment book.” Next came, "Who'd be interested in reading about your experiences. You're not famous." Followed by, "You're too practical and direct." As fast as those thoughts flew into my mind, I took a deep breath and consciously replaced them with more accurate ones:  "I'm not in competition with anybody." "Helping people is the ultimate goal, not who gets the loudest applause." "My direct, action-oriented  communication style isn't effective with everybody and it doesn't have to be." What a relief.

As I was mulling over why I was feeling jealous and "less than" the woman with whom I was having coffee, I realized that God made no two people exactly alike because He/She/It had a different life plan in mind  for each of us. We are all needed to do different things and to have unique experiences. How boring would life be if we all had the same personality and did everything exactly the same way?  If we were all exactly the same, there would be no spark of creativity to generate new ways of being in the world or new inventions to make life easier for one and all. Followers are needed as much as leaders. Slow decision makers are as needed as quick decision makers. Risk avoiders have as much value as risk takers. 

To the extent that we are being our authentic self,  we are fulfilling our purpose on earth. During my internal dialogue while having coffee with a peer, I had to remind myself that my gifts are just as valuable as anyone’s. By my willingness to accept and express my unique gifts, I add value to the world. This is a lesson I seem to have to learn over and over again and it's probably why I'm so good at helping others to learn it at much quicker rate and without all the drama. It’s been a challenge but the more and more I’m revealing the truth of my being and my unique skills and abilities, the more and more the quality of my life improves!

When I was younger, I remember playing the children's game "Hot and Cold." God, working through our gut feelings, is giving us clues toward the prize that awaits us when we remember our worth and express what makes us unique. That prize is happiness. If there is something that you enjoy doing (that doesn't intentionally harm another), then that is the direction in which you need to move to find real happiness. It doesn't matter how many other people are doing the same thing. You're experiences are uniquely yours and you may be seeing the same event from another point of view. To see the entire picture, all views are necessary.  For me that means accepting my intuitive abilities as well as my leadership skills and using them to assist others in manifesting their dreams. It means letting go of attachment to whether I will make money from my talents and using those skills because they're second nature to me. It means not comparing my gifts with those of another.

In contrast to the sense of struggle that you experience when you deny your gifts, you will be amazed at how effortlessly and joyfully success comes to you when you step toward your heart's chosen field. The more I share my gifts with others the happier I am and that happiness is contagious. I have to keep remembering that idea when I begin doubting myself or comparing myself to others, with me always feeling as though I'm lacking in some way. It's not true. It's just an old belief that I'm  actively releasing from my memory banks. I have the power to change my perspective and see myself with more accepting eyes.

I've found that when we are following our own path, we are bound to rub some people the wrong way. Criticism and rejection are healthy signs that you are doing something real and alive. If no one is upset with what you are doing, you are probably not expressing yourself fully. You're agreeing to do something when your gut is telling you not to. You're trying to please somebody else rather than pleasing yourself. You're acting out of fear instead of love. 

Albert Einstein noted that "great spirits have always encountered violent resistance from mediocre minds." If you are not bumping up against some kind of reaction, reconsider your self-expression and determine if you've been your authentic self. It's OK to be different. In fact, in my opinion, it's part of God's master plan for us individually and collectively.

You will never be able to please everyone no matter how you try to conform to other's expectations. No two people have the exact same expectations on all things at the same time. You have the best chance for happiness by expressing your unique skills and points of view and striving to please yourself and the God within you. It is futile to struggle to uphold the opinions of others or to compare yourself with others. It is your own opinion that you need to live with and it’s the diversity of each individual that adds so much to the fabric of life. Honor your unique gifts and honor those in others; to do so is to honor God.