It is true that Steve Harvey, though a bestselling author, is quite controversial. Many people - both men and women - have strong concerns about him due to his checkered past. Nevertheless, I have learned to listen for the voice of my Higher Consciousness, my Wise Guide, my Wonderful Counselor whomever He speaks through. Yesterday, it was Steve Harvey.
Lifechanging for me was his analogy of passion versus gift. Let me explain. We've been told to pursue our passion. That this is the path to true happiness and fulfillment. In difference, Steve gave an example from his own life. When he was young, he was passionate about basketball. "There was one problem," Steve said and I paraphrase. "When I'd have to drive the ball hard to the basket, I'd lose the ball along the way." That's a problem.
"Your gift will make room for you and bring you before great men," says the Bible. Steve referenced this scripture while clarifying that the importance is to find what you are gifted to do. "You can be passionate about something but not gifted to do it." This struck a chord within me.
What is my gift? You might ask. "It's what you do with the least amount of effort," Steve clarified. It's what you're able to do almost effortlessly. It's almost second nature. I began to reflect on my gift of music. That is the gift I am most known by since me and my sisters have been singing and playing the piano since we were young. We'd parade around the front porch of our home on Oak Street, with pencils in our hand as microphones and sing with perfect harmony.
"When I took the DISC Personality Test, my dominate trait was that of Advisor," I whispered to my friend, Gail, while listening to Steve's words. "Most definitely. I can see that," Gail responded. Teacher, counselor, sound advice, easy-to-talk-to, genuine, thought-provoking, outside the box, engaging, honest, enlightening, liberating, soothing are all adjectives I've heard at one time or another to describe how I sing, how I speak and how I write. The singing, the speaking and the writing are just tools for what I am truly gifted to do. Even lately, my boss has been seeking my advice. He has been asking me what I think and how he should approach certain human relations type situations with our business partners. "You're good at that," he tells me.
Perhaps that is why I connect so deeply with Iyanla Vanzant. She has an undeniable gift that transcends her admission of being "crazy." Her humanity does not diminish it. "How do you heal a broken heart?," she asked. " You have to tell yourself the truth." "How do you heal a broken heart?, she asked again. "You have to forgive." She was so dynamic as a featured speaker at Women's Empowerment. No bells. No whistles. No pomp and circumstance. No theme music. No entourage. Just a spiritual being shrouded in human flesh, hurt and personal struggle delivering a message of peace and liberation to a room filled with women. To all the reasons she had to feel otherwise, she declared, "I forgive you. I don't want to but I'm willing." What a gift!
