YOUR GIFT vs. YOUR SKILL

So the struggle I have come to realize from keen observation of the unemployment trend in our society today and most especially the deep seated despair it births in the hearts of the youths out there, is the lack of recognition, and essentially appreciation of gifts as against the overemphasizing of skills.

Before I go further, I should take the time to define the words Gift and Skill just to aid understanding of the point I am driving to. It is worthy of note also that the gift I speak about in this context does not refer to something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation. (Kinda like what you give to a person on their birthday.)

Although what I speak about was also given to you, that transaction happened long before you showed up here on Earth.

Now gift in this context according to the Meriam Webster Dictionary is "a notable capacity, talent or endowment." Basically an inner ability to perform, do and become what you were created to be. It is in other words called your life's work.

Skill on the other hand is "the ability to do something that comes from training, experience or practice."

You'd notice that both are abilities, except that one in inborn or inherent and the other is only learnt or aquired. And less I leave you wondering, it is true that both need some level of practice to sharpen if the potential must be maximally harnessed.

Now to where I am headed.

An average young graduate is encouraged to aquire skills as much as he/she can. Because they say, "no company would hire you without any skills." And I agree. It is the norm in our day. You can't beat that. It is even worse now that most companies aren't interested in training you for the job they employ you to do. They expect you to come already trained. This is topic for another day though.

Now the issue is, people seldom tell you to look in the area of your gift. Because by default, a job is what you are looking for immediately after graduation. So your gift is largely inconsequential in this case. Or is it? You see, we all want the easy way out. All thanks to our society who has made us believe so. But can we honestly say it is still the easy way today?

Here's the problem with skills; they are dispensable. They quickly loose value with time and innovation. My father was a Chief Typist during his banking days. He was very good with the then typewriters. But imagine if the man were here today and doesn't know to use a computer. I'm sure you know what the result would be.

That's what I mean by skills are dispensable with time and innovation. Why do you think companies downsize? Not always because of money issues. Most of then found a better, quicker and less expensive ways of achieving their goals. So they don't need your skills anymore.

Your gift on the other hand is hardly ever dispensable. Unless of course you pay minimal attention to it. Your gift was given to you by God to deploy and create a platform for others to leverage and build theirs. And here lies my problem with the conventional work setting of today. Most companies don't employ you to give you a platform to unleash what comes natural to you. On the contrary, they build up systems that stiffle whatever is of you, just so you can see hope only in what they provide you.

The beautiful thing about your gift is also that it stays with you wherever you go. Nobody can take it away from you, and it gets better even as you age and put in more work towards developing it.

Need I say to you that your prosperity is also tied to your discovering what your gift is and giving it your all. A verse of the scripture I have come to love so much is in Proverbs 18:16 which says "A man's gift makes room for him and brings him before great men."

If it is any consolation, you must know also that there's never a better version of you. Because with your gift came a uniqueness that can never be replaced by an invention or yet another gift.

The Balance

This is not to down play the need to aquire skills. By all means, aquire some. Especially if it helps you stay relevant in your field of endeavor. But aquiring skills that are tied to your gifting I believe is the way to go, because it keeps you relevant in season and out of season.

You can be laid off regardless of the amount of skills you have when a better replacement comes along, but no one can fire your gift.

And then the joy of knowing you have found your life's work and that you are in the area of your calling is second to none. It has the power to keep you awake all night and looking forward to the breaking of a new day.

The Call

1. Learn to look beyond acquiring skills and find your life's work which is of course tied to your gifting. Because in it is everything else you are looking for.
2. Resist the belief that your goal in life is to find a job.
3. Be yourself and people would pay you to be you.

Biyama Joseph