Hey !

The last time we spoke, we discussed how the idea of “happiness” isn’t one that can be given to you or taken from you by anybody but yourself. In that discussion I suggested that anybody who felt they were lacking in the whole happiness department, should find new strategies to discover what makes them the happiest.

While scrolling through Facebook recently I came across an article about figuring out what your gift is. The author (whom I can’t seem to find) notes that for people with Type A personalities, (me me me) it’s easy to mistake a flaw for a skill. For example, a person who can be viewed as overly critical, can actually be seen as a person with a keen eye for detail, logistically sound, and a knack for finding problems that can be fixed that others might not find.

With this in my mind, I got to wondering what I considered to be my best gifts or talents. Not someone who loves sports, plays an instrument, or is talented artistically. I was stuck. So I began to google things. Google had an answer for me as always.

What is a gift ?  By definition it is “ a natural ability or talent, an aptitude for something.”

AN APTITUDE

Literally defined as the capability to acquire something, I began to smile to myself realizing that literally anything can be one of your gifts. Anything you’re willing to practice, develop, and perfect to the best of your ability is a gift. Something that makes you special in your own creativity and passions. These passions are what I feel allow you to make the best out of any situation.

Reflecting on my last post, these passions allow you to reflect meaningfully on what makes you happy. Through the process of learning, failing, and growing in passion, you can look yourself in the mirror and figure out who you really are and ask yourself the questions no one else will.

“What will I put up with?”   “What pushes me to my limits?”   “What am I capable of doing?”

Now let’s rewind to June 25, 2018.

It was my dad’s 60th birthday. I had the house to myself, the kitchen was at my disposal, and my hands just seemed to know what to do, how to mix it, and how to charter the unknown. What started out as a simple birthday surprise for a man with an exceptionally sweet tooth, blossomed into so much more than I ever thought it would be. What started as the moment of my desire to give an original gift that would last in memories, left me feeling inclined to see what more I could do.

• What recipes I could try
• What new tools I could use
• How I could craft my skills
• How I could develop this new gift

Fast forward to this October. A little less than a week ago. Me, My Sister In Law’s birthday, and a Mocha Cupcake with Espresso Buttercream Frosting.

Thinking about the time between the two recipes, I’ve realized that the past four months have been full of growth. Discovering myself, what I want out of life, who I want to be, and what I stand for.

And the whole time, I’ve just been baking!

Testing new recipes, techniques, and styles, I’m learning to never limit myself in the kitchen, but most importantly to never limit myself in life period. As bold as I am in the kitchen, this boldness is now showing up in my life, my decisions, and in my demeanor. I’m finding a niche I never thought I had all through a recipe.

It can all be so simple, but in order to find your niche, you have to start today. Use the resources around you, guides, tips like this one, and follow your heart and head to get where you want to be.

So here’s my own recipe for you !

1. Gather your tools

• Reflect on your strengths and weaknesses. Purposefully. Not to judge or chastise yourself, but to honestly evaluate what you’re working with. You can’t work towards a passion until you know the things that can help or hinder you

2. Find a recipe

• While I enjoy baking in my free time, for you it could be cooking, writing, community service, etc. Everyone feels differently about the things they love and you can’t compare where you are and what you’re doing to somebody else in a completely different walk of life.

3. Heat up the oven

• Make sure you’re ready to start your own journey. As appealing as it may sound. You have to be ready to deal with the ups and downs of figuring out what’s truly meant for you. Prepare for the process

4. Bake it !

• Engage in the process ! You’ve made this plan. Follow through on it. Take this time to explore your talents and where they can take you. You don’t need to just have one and they don’t need to be by the book. Make sure you’re consciously evaluating how you feel during the process.

5. Taste test !

• You think you’ve found something, so how does it make you feel ? What does it bring out of you ? Have you seen some growth within yourself ? Evaluate !

Recipes leave so much room for a beautiful end product. Whether a new dish or pastry, the people who spend their time crafting the best recipes, yield the best results. So make sure you put in the time and effort into yielding the best version of you. In the meantime for the people who thought it sounds delicious. Try out that real recipe for those Mocha Cupcakes. They were amazing !

 

 

See y’all next time ♥♥♥