Previously, I've mentioned a particular magnolia tree close to my house with the most fragrant blooms that rival any flower I’ve ever smelled. I walked by it this past weekend and looked for one to smell.

 

I had to walk around the tree and look high and low. I couldn’t see one so I sniffed an unopened bud to see if it had the same fragrance, but it had no smell at all. A little to the right of it, I found an open flower within reach. Aahhh, deep inhale...

 

A bud has to open up for its gifts to be enjoyed—by me, the bees, and everyone/everything else that enjoys magnolia blooms. It doesn’t do much good to remain closed, with merely the potential of being a big, beautiful magnolia blossom. What a shame it would be for it to dry out and die as a bud, with so much untapped loveliness and unshared gifts.

 

I am echoing what I wrote last week, which is to make sure that we don’t die in our shells, or in this case, with unflowered blooms. Each one of us are gifted with talents and purposes that are meant to enhance the people we impact, regardless of how in-depth or brief the interactions may be.

 

When my brother died in 2016, I received messages almost every day for a while from various people who knew him. Several of them had only met him once, and yet he had left an unforgettable memory in their hearts. He encouraged people with a smile, a song and perhaps a brief greeting, and they never forgot him or his message to them.

 

If you doubt your gifts are unimportant, I have to challenge your thinking on that. There are way too many stories of single encounters with people who changed a life forever. Some of them were touched by people they knew, but many of us are changed forever by a stranger, whether it’s an unlikely conversation, or a message delivered on stage to thousands.

 

 

You have everything you need to impact everyone and everything you are here to touch, to encourage, to change, to challenge, to inspire, to empathize with, to mentor...  

 

Whatever it is you are meant to do, you have all that you need right this very moment to do it. So do it! If you’re not sure what that is, then do this simple exercise.

 

Write a letter and address it to “My self who knows,” and ask a few questions, each time waiting for an answer and writing down the response.

 

Dear My Self Who Knows,

What am I here to do? Who am I here to serve? What do I need to learn to help me do that better, even as I’m starting to do it now? What else can you tell me about that?

 

If you believe in God and have a close relationship, of course praying and writing the letter to God is beneficial as well. (I had unresolved God issues for years, which is why I generally keep my public writing spiritual instead of religious, in case you have God-issues too.) I don't want anything to stop you from doing this exercise, which is why I suggest writing to, "My Self Who Knows." We all have one of those.

 

Now take your writing instrument, stop thinking, stop judging, stop censoring and let it talk to you. Let it write back to you, as you ask each question.

 

The excuse of not knowing what you’re here for, or what you're meant to do with the time you have left is just that, an excuse. All the answers you need are inside you and available to you. Take time to explore your passions and giftings and then get busy blooming. Make sure every bud residing within you is given ample resources to come to life.

 

This process may feel harder to do for some than others. I've had many seasons where I knew I needed to do something different for work or I needed to create more joy in my life, but I felt clueless. As a result, I have utilized mentors and coaches, so please know you don't have to do it alone.

 

If it weren’t for the life coach I started working with in early 2015, I’m not sure when I would have published my book, which means I’m not sure if I would even be writing to you today. I still seek the regular wisdom of others and use them to be accountable for my growth and struggles.

 

If you want or need help, I have availability in my coaching program for three people, and there are many other people willing to coach or mentor who I can recommend.

 

Additionally, I am entertaining the idea of launching the first online group for my coaching program, A Life Worth Having. Reply to this email if you would like to know more about that as it develops.

 

Today, try writing a letter to “My Self Who Knows" and see what happens. With an open mind, the right questions and a willingness to listen and dig a little, our full potentials can blossom into fragrant gifts for all to enjoy.