Make no mistake - we all have talents. Unfortunately, most of us never really recognize them. Or worse, we mistake a skill (something learned and developed by repetitive action) for a talent. For example, someone can develop a skill for working with numbers and become a successful accountant, all the while suppressing a talent for writing. Such a person is likely to feel bored and unfulfilled with accounting, a clear sign that internal talents aren't being tapped.
How, then, to identify your talents? It's pretty much just a matter of opening your mind to possibilities. Dream a little bit. Envision yourself doing something else. How does it feel? Do you see yourself being happy and comfortable? If so, chances are you have (or can develop) a talent for whatever it is you're envisioning.
Of course, you have to be realistic. Many of us might find it easy to envision ourselves as a movie star or professional athlete, but few of us genuinely have the talent to be one. At the same time, the accountant I alluded to might comfortably envision him or herself as a copywriter or reporter.
Next, examine what you do with your life outside your job. Your hobbies and interests will provide some concrete clues as to where your talents lie, since few of us spend our leisure time doing things we don't enjoy or aren't good at. Of course, don't forget that people sometimes ruin good hobbies by trying to make money at them.
However, the man who works with tools and machines all day, then spends his weekends fixing up old cars, probably has a talent for working with equipment and machinery.
On the other hand, I once worked with a man who had spent years in facilities management. (Basically, he supervised janitorial services.) In his private life, he was the president of a national volunteer organization. This man had immense talents for leader ship and management that he was not using in his income-producing life.
Next, take a hard, honest look at your self-image. It's purely subjective, of course, but to a large extent, it's probably reason ably accurate. If your self-image is too low or too high, it's likely because you're not using your talents. (Or meeting your internal requirements - more on that just ahead.)
Take a hard look at your conditioned reflexes - the habit patterns which you have formed after years of repetitive action. They could be a clue to your talents. Are you better at formulating policy or carrying out plans? Do you work better with things or with people? With numbers or with words? Alone or as part of a team? (Bear in mind, if you undertake this exercise, the work you do and have done will influence your functional patterns. If you've been in military service for 30 years, your modus operandi will be substantially different from someone who's spent 30 years in retail sales. But, properly attended to, these habits can be modified.)
Even take a look at the things you enjoyed as a child, before you faced the pressure of parents and teachers trying to mold you into someone you're not. People often suppress their personal desires (talents?) for the purpose of trying to please their parents. This is especially true for the children of professionals, who commonly feel that they must be professionals as well.
In the course of all this self-examination, you may very well find that you are using your basic talents in your career. The broader question then becomes: Are you using them in the best application? If not, perhaps it's time to look for something better.
Particularly applicable in this context is a fable about a youth sitting in a fig tree, surrounded by ripe, juicy figs, yet who starves to death because he can't decide which one to eat. Many talented people are like that youth, sitting in a fig tree (their job) and slowly starving for fear of losing money, security or ego, while their figs (better opportunities) rot within arm's reach. Don't let yourself be one of those people. Learn more about the full range of your internal talents and set out immediately to start using them. You will certainly be much happier for it.
