GIFTEDNESS

I attended a John Maxwell Leadership seminar yesterday which was videocast live from the EDSA Shangrila Hotel where John held the actual session.

While talking about the key elements to being a successful leader,John said that we should know our giftedness and work at improving it. Only then will we be able to rise above the average.

"No one pays to watch average!" he bellowed in his loud baritone voice.

It got me to thinking about my own giftedness and that of my family's.

What am I really good at and what should I really work on to " rise above the average?"

Some answers:

- I am good at getting things organized and started. Like a Pioneer of sorts. When I look at my track record I can point to several "firsts" that I achieved. I have the knack for getting support and seeing things through their completion.

e.g. The 1st Jollibee Manager's convention, the 1st in-house training video productions for Jollibee,the 1st Sales rally,the 1st Training Kitchen,the 1st to use line trainers. I also organized our Juvenate Grand Reunion in 2006.

- I am creative and artistic. I have a good sense of design and the works I have produced are appreciated. e.g I have made paintings that have sold. My composition:The Chowking Hymn and songs I made for our conventions, have been sung and received accolades. My photographs have been admired and are well-liked.

My wife Jaja's giftedness lies in her ability to make friends easily. She is loved by her friends just as she loves them. She also has this tenacity of spirit that has seen her through tough times and projects that would dishearten lesser mortals. She doesn't believe she has it but she is entrepreneurial and good at selling things.

My son TJ is gifted with the ability to write or should I say, express himself well in written word. He also has such a powerful imagination that we may not have tapped yet. He has been gifted with such a caring heart that it has been broken at times.

James. our second son, seems to have in herited his mom's gift of friendliness. He is the one with many friends and social contacts. We were surprised to know that he was getting free dental treatment in school because he was buddy-buddy with the school dentist! He is also the businessman, having made money already from selling assembled model cars/robots and Magic cards. He also has a taste for good food which is why he is studying to be a chef.

Tasha surprised us all by turning out to be a gifted athlete. She has won more medals in competitions than I have in academics. She is also a good baker, and has a good sense of fashion. She is our consultant when it comes to dressing up in style. Her grades in school may not reflect it,but she's also very smart. She can figure out a lot of things on her own specially when something has caught her interest.

Realizing this, I see that I have been blessed with a gifted family and know also that I have a challenge to see my childrens' potentials developed to their maximum.