“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.” – Albert Einstein
Whether on the professional stage or in everyday life, recognizing and utilizing your inherent abilities can be the difference between mediocrity and excellence. That is why we’re addressing the importance of using our gifts in this week’s blog post.
It’s not the first time I am sharing Albert Einstein’s profound wisdom on my blog. However, this time, his words echoed the importance of leveraging our natural gifts in sports and life. He said, “We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.” This section emphasizes the value of intuition, creativity, and innate abilities, the gifts that set us apart as individuals. In the context of sports, it highlights the significance of tapping into our intuitions and leveraging them alongside rational thinking.
By recognizing and embracing our unique talents, whether it’s athleticism, intellect, or creativity, we can unlock our full potential and achieve success both on and off the field. Just as Einstein suggests, it’s time to revere the sacred gift of intuition and allow it to guide us toward greatness in all aspects of life.
Scenario
Consider this scenario: there are two athletes of equal physical prowess. One relies solely on their physical attributes, throwing themselves into the game with sheer athleticism. However, the other employs a strategic approach, using their intelligence to analyze the situation, anticipate moves, and make calculated decisions. Who do you think has the edge?
Undoubtedly, it’s the second one. This example illustrates the essential role that leveraging one’s gifts plays in achieving success, not only in sports but in all aspects of life. Whether your gift lies in physical prowess, intellect, creativity, or any other trait, using it effectively can boost your performance and enhance your overall experience. Here’s why:
Optimized Performance:
Using your natural gifts allows you to perform at your peak potential. Instead of relying solely on brute force or athleticism, you can work smarter, not harder. Seek the sports that you like but also that you’ve got a little bit of talent in whether that is mental or physical talent. You don’t need to be great at something, but use the gift within you and work on it. The same goes for life. If you know you are good at building/organizing or whatever it might be, use those skills and ask for help in the areas that you aren’t great at. Be smart about your effort.
Efficiency and Conservation of Energy:
By leveraging your strengths, you can conserve valuable energy and resources. In sports, this means making calculated movements rather than exerting unnecessary effort. Similarly, in life, focusing on your strengths enables you to work more efficiently and avoid burnout.
Strategic Advantage:
Intelligence, creativity, and other cognitive abilities provide a strategic advantage in both sports and life. Athletes who can think critically and adapt to changing circumstances often outperform their opponents. Likewise, individuals who leverage their intellect in everyday situations can solve problems more effectively and make better decisions.
Enhanced Confidence and Mental Toughness:
Recognizing and utilizing your gifts boosts confidence and mental toughness. When you know you have a unique advantage, you approach challenges with a sense of assurance and resilience. This mindset is invaluable in sports, where confidence can make or break performance, as well as in life, where self-assurance is key to overcoming obstacles.
Personal Fulfillment:
Finally, using your gifts brings a sense of fulfillment and purpose. Whether you’re competing on the field or pursuing your passions in other areas, tapping into your innate abilities allows you to express yourself authentically and make meaningful contributions to your team or family & friends off the court. How? Well, if you are fully content with yourself, you are more likely to look for others around you and share your time with them, instead of putting your head down and disappearing into a grey cloud of overthinking.
So…
It’s important to note that leveraging your gifts doesn’t mean neglecting areas of improvement. Instead, it’s about understanding your strengths and weaknesses and using them to your advantage. Just as a skilled coach identifies players’ strengths and positions them accordingly, you should align your actions with your natural talents to maximize your potential.
In conclusion, whether you’re a professional athlete or an amateur enthusiast, recognizing and utilizing your gifts is essential for success in sports and life. By working smarter, conserving energy, gaining a strategic advantage, boosting confidence, and finding fulfillment, you can elevate your performance and achieve your goals. So, embrace what sets you apart and use it to fuel your journey to greatness.
Until next week, write down ten things you think you are good at, and then ask a couple of friends and family members to tell you three things they think you do well and have them be specific. It could be as simple as “You’re good at being consistent/punctual/sports/adventures/great at giving advice/playing an instrument/cleaning/organizing.” It doesn’t have to be the profession you are working in.
Sport Psychology for Everyone 
I cannot support the mumbo-jumbo of “gifts” especially in sports. Everyone has certain abilities and strengths and weakness, but a belief that such things were given (an idea fostered by religions to create a sense of obligation in the “receiver of such gifts”), is a path to a fixed mindset. Someone who trounces you in tennis has more of a gift than you do, so there was nothing you could do.
The term “gift” being in common usage for so long is now used casually, just as Einstein used the phrase “sacred gift” when he believed in no such thing. He was just using words that had an impact upon his audience. I think coaches need to ban the word.
In sports coaching I hear parents say so often that kids are “gifted” or “naturally talented,” when no one is born with a “talent” for archery. It is a skill learned. Some find it easier to learn, some harder. Some find that they have learned it better, others so not. Whatever level of skill one attains, one must be continually trying to improve that level of skill or you will backslide. Kobe Bryant called it the Mamba Mentality, but it is just common sense.
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It’s like luck, aren’t we more lucky the more we practice something? However, like Einstein I used a word that did drag some attention. Perhaps we are gifted, perhaps not, some like the phrase, others not. I appreciate your argument. We all have the right to think and believe in something that makes our days easier. Humans constantly want answers, we don’t like uncertainty, would you agree? My point is, some skills come easier than others for you and I, I want us to notice those skills that we are good at (let’s call them gifts) and I want each individual to bring that up to the surface.
Like always, I appreciate your feedback! Thanks Steve!
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