Part 1: Essay
Over time, I have grown to appreciate the gifts I have and the gifts of others around me. This appreciation is based on the fact that these gifts make us who we are. As a child, I was repeatedly told that I was sensitive, and I made attempts to hide my sensitivity as I thought it was a weakness. However, as I grew up, I began to realize that my sensitivity towards others was a gift that made me unique. Empathy is the capability of an individual to place themselves in the shoes of other individuals and the capacity of sharing the feelings of others (Hicks, 2016). It is by being empathetic to others that we gain the ability to provide them with the support that they need. I also believe that I can lend a hand to other individuals. While in high school, I realized that I loved volunteering in various charities and programs, as it gave me a sense of fulfillment. Hence, the second gift that I identified on my list was being helpful. I was also always willing to help out my parents with chores even when they did not ask for it.
Thirdly, I have always viewed myself as being creative and innovative. As a child, I was able to find new ways to use any old products that my parents wanted to throw away from home. Looking at things in a different way has helped me solve the numerous problems that I encountered along the way. For example, when placed in groups for school work, I have always held the capability of finding the best way to delegate duties and accomplish the objectives of the groups appropriately. I have always found myself engaged in a variety of creative projects, such as the design of various school parties. I have always been flexible in my thinking and also willing to take risks and been interested in the different viewpoints and perspectives that those around me hold.
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I also identified being keen and observant as a fourth gift. Most of the time, I enjoy being attentive. For example, while walking to class, I am usually able to sport hummingbirds along the way. I've seen herons and stilts, and even an owl one day around dusk. I believe that being highly observant has increased my awareness of my surroundings and also my ability to be empathetic with those around me. Being observant means being able to see whatever is around me. My gift of observation has been closely linked to my ability to be empathetic. By being able to observe and see whatever is happening around me, I am also able to view and understand the feelings and emotions of those around me. Only by being observant am I able to be empathetic to my friends and my colleagues. With time, I have learned that observation is not about being judgmental or being good or bad. It revolves around situational awareness and the interpretation of what those around me are attempting to communicate, whether verbally or non-verbally.
Lastly, I have always been focused on ensuring that my friends and I are peaceful with one another. Hence, in many situations, I have found myself acting as a mediator between my friends during a quarrel or fight. Since I acknowledged and understood that I had the ability to mediate any conflicts among my arguing friends, I then educated and informed myself of all the necessary mediation techniques and methods that I could apply. I am now aware that one of the essential things in facilitating mediating among my friends is being neutral and not taking any sides between them. In this way, I avoid the risk of starting another conflict between any of the arguing parties and myself.
My friends' view of my gifts seemed to agree with the list that I had been able to structure myself. As I asked four of my friends, one of the commonalities between them was an agreement that I was empathetic. Most of them detailed one situation or the other in which I noticed that they were going through a difficult situation and offered them. This included a high level of understanding on my part on the challenges that they were going through even though I had never experienced some of these situations. Some of these friends made the admissions that I was their first choice when they needed someone to listen to their grievances or problems.
On the other hand, some friends stated that they believe effective decision making was a gift that they I had. While I had not considered this, decision making has never been a challenge for me in the past. According to their views, I am able to easily weigh the alternatives that are before me and make the appropriate decision that suits my situation. In my group of friends, while being a mediator, I have also taken the role of being the decision-maker. I am able to use my gift of creativity to come up with innovative solutions to any problems that may surround me. I believe that being observant also contributes to the ability to make decisions as I am able to use the information about the environment around me to make the right decisions (Whetten, 2011). Hence, this exercise has been valuable in helping me identify gifts that I was not conscious of.
Part 2: Assignment
I believe that my gift of observation can be used to help others. This may include pointing out instances of trouble and finding solutions before the situation became disastrous. In some cases, it also helped me solve problems before they became challenging. One day, I parked near the meter at a store and smelled gas. While no one was in any danger, I tried to make the manager aware of the situation. When I observed that they were really busy, I decided to go home myself and contact the gas station myself. The technician later called me to inform me that she had identified the leak and was surprised that it was such a minor leak. In this way, my gift of observation has been used in the past to provide assistance and rectify situations before they become disasters.
In the future, I plan to use my observation abilities to assist those around me. This includes enhancing the quality of interactions that I have with others. Better scrutiny of everyday activities is critical for the revelation of a variety of situations, stressors, and behaviors. Just as I was able to discover my gifts and abilities through this exercise, I believe that I can use my observation to identify the gifts of others and the ways in which they can use them to enhance themselves. I can use my observation to encourage others to utilize their strengths regularly and make an identification of where they can be translated into new situations.
Another gift that I can use to benefit others is being philanthropic. By helping others, I gained a greater sense of fulfillment when I provided assistance to others and enjoyed the process. Some of the ways I realized I could be helpful were as already mentioned, volunteering at the appropriate programs, and providing aid to those who requested it. I believe that as I become fulfilled from helping others, I can also support others in being helpful. In the future, I believe I can help others by starting my initiatives towards helping others. This includes identifying an area of need in the community around me and coming up with a creative way to satisfy this need. I plan to recruit my friends to begin a program that could involve the collection of funds, food, and clothing for the homeless in my community. This item can be collected from friends, family, and colleagues then appropriately distributed to those in need.
To develop my gifts, I plan to improve my level of self-awareness. Being aware of how my actions impact on those around me can assist me in identifying the cause and effects of my actions, and increase my understanding of why specific behaviors have particular consequences. Being self-aware will help me in being calm, content, and at ease with my surroundings. This way, I can be a better observer and also discover the ways in which I can help those around me. Secondly, I also plan to develop my capability of understanding the body language of those around me. This is because I believe that the majority of communication occurs in non-verbal ways. Hence, by increasing my understanding of the body language of those around me, I also believe I can enhance the gifts of those around me. This form of communication can act as a platform for me to understand how I can further use my gifts to help others.
References
Hicks, R. (2016). Are you empathetic?. Physician leadership journal , 3 (1), 52-55.
Lewis, H. (2012). Body language: A guide for professionals . SAGE Publications India.
Whetten, D. A. (2011). Developing management skills . Pearson Education India.
