Encanto and the Liability of Gifts

In the movie Encanto, we learn about how each member of the Madrigal family has a gift. The oldest daughter is incredibly strong, the cousin has bionic hearing, Bruno can see the future and on and on until we learn that poor Mirabel does not even have an assigned gift (or at least one we know of). One of the lessons in the movie is how restricting a talent can be if it is overused. By feeling labeled by a special power, these family members are unable to break out of their shell and ultimately their skill becomes a chore and an obligation and no longer feels like a blessing. 

Many of my clients come to me because they feel trapped by their gifts. Their education and experience make them feel they should stay on a certain career track and they limit their opportunities. Or they feel disappointed that they have not been able to leverage their skills more in the career they have chosen. Either way, there is disappointment and a feeling of failure when they evaluate their career trajectory.

I had a client who has a PhD in dance, but was not using this directly in her current job. She felt regretful that she was not utilizing her degree “enough”. My thought is that your education is being used no matter what. A PhD teaches you so much about hard work, research, focus, curiosity, dedication and that does not even include all the things you learned from the actual topic you are researching. 

What about all the people with a law degree who never took the conventional path. Doesn't it help to know about law, about negotiation, about how to read contracts carefully? There is no telling how many ways your law degree helps you in your personal and professional life. 

And how many stay at home parents wonder whether they used their degree. There is no vocation that needs lots of skills more than that of a parent. 

Any degree or skill that you have can enrich your life right now. It is not an either or. It is not black and white. 

We can feel the need to maintain a certain career path because it pays well, it utilizes our degree, everyone wants us to continue doing what we are doing or “we are good at it”. But what happens when the career path doesn't make sense anymore. We need to figure out why. Is the “what” of your job fine, but the “where” problematic? Or is it the reverse? Do you feel like you are just using one skillset over and over and you would like to develop others? Has your gift become obsolete and you need to figure out how to pivot and adapt to the changing workplace? When the magic of your gift is gone, or needs to temporarily be put on hold, we have to loosen our grip and move in the direction that calls to us.

Gifts can be magical but they can also be limiting. Take note of how you utilize your gifts and if they are expanding your world or narrowing it. 

To further explore your many gifts, reach out for a free half-hour consultation.