At one time or another in our lives we all have experienced talent envy. We know or see someone who can do something we cannot and we wish we had their talent. “Oh what I could do with THAT talent, skill, ability, gift.” Talent envy can be a horrible feeling. For an instant or more we wish we were someone else or better than we are, which means we have believed the lie. There is nothing wrong with us for not having THAT talent, it simply means we have to dig deeper to find our own or stop thwarting our own success.
As Seneca reminds us here, the good things we gain through prosperity are usually things that we wish about. The good things we learn and gain through adversity are the true gifts that we need to admire. Anyone can show character, integrity, honesty and joy during the good times. That’s easy. When life is going your way everything seems better. It is how we behave and what we learn during times of adversity that tell the truth about our character.
We’ve all done stupid things…all of us. Rash decisions, poor choices, even minor offenses against man or God. These are the things we regret or prefer not to share with others. When we have learned, grown beyond AND are willing to share those mistakes so someone else can grow and avoid that same trap, THAT is the talent and lesson we need to value above all else. The world only gets better when we learn from experience, especially if it is someone else’s experience.
Take time today to share the lessons you have learned through adversity. Write them down, tell the stories, let those who want to learn fully understand where and when you were made. You are not the product of all the good times, you are the great design of all the trouble, turmoil and strife you have lived through. These are the attributes about you in which people find the person they admire. Never be ashamed to have failed and learned, be ashamed to have failed and missed the point.
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