 Would you know what to say if someone asks you to identify your talent? Well, while you may secretly believe you don't have any ability, you do. Often it's hard to identify because your ability can feel like second nature. In this video, I will share with you 9 questions that will help you discover your unique talent. 1. What comes naturally to you? According to executive coach Whitney Johnson, the strengths that come naturally to people are also the ones they are likely to downplay. One of the first questions you must ask yourself in your quest for talent discovery is what comes naturally to me. What do I do well? What are my strengths? Your strengths lie in abilities, lies in activities that you excel in with little effort or prior knowledge. You tend to overlook them most times. If you are inherently talented at something, the chance is that you might not even think of it as strength at all. Whether it is a hard skill, like drawing or a soft skill like listening, knowing what you know well and without much stress is a step to understanding your talent. Certain things get you overwhelmed when you see others flopping them. You always wonder how people cannot do this simple thing. Your primary talent is an aspect that someone is trying to take a personal development course there. 2. What will you do if money is not a concern? American investor Warren Buffett once said, your money can run out but your knowledge and talent cannot. In this world filled with so many responsibilities, many people have given a chance to make choices or choose money over almost everything. However, dip inside every man is a part of them that they cannot trade for money, which they can also give out without requesting to be paid. Ask yourself, what is that thing that I cannot let go of because of money? And also, what can I give out even though there is no payment attached to it? Yes, your talent ought to generate income for you and it will, but most people who have become successful with their abilities did not start by getting huge earnings. They helped others with their gifts first before the money started coming in. It is talent first before payment, so think deeply. What activities do I place above money? 3. What do you enjoy doing that you lose track of time? Human life today is very much dependent on time. These days it seems complicated to fully concentrate on an activity because our lives are laid out on schedules and change to them no matter what. Finding an event that puts all other thoughts and concerns on the back burner whenever you do it is a beautiful thing. Do you accidentally lose track of time at home or work? What activities make you forget about time each time you do it? You would agree that there is a particular activity that you get so engrossed in, so much so that you lose awareness of time. Losing yourself in the flow of a task is a secure sign that the job is meaningful to you and that it comes naturally to you. We lose track of time when we engage in those activities because everything within us synchronizes and before we realize it's meal time and it hasn't crossed our mind. List out the events then make you lose track of time. Go through each one and come up with a final list. 4. What do your friends appreciate about you? To get some help, ask your family or friends what they think you're good at doing. Friends and family play a significant role in this. One American author and thought leader John Maxwell once remarked most of us are not self-aware. We all have blind spots but you can ask others to help you identify your talent. Maxwell further suggests asking as many people as we can about what we think our strengths and talents are. Let it be an essential exercise. If possible, prepare a questionnaire for them. Give simple instructions on what you expect from the task when you have gotten all your feedbacks, compile the data. The strengths and abilities you repeatedly hear from different people are most likely to be your strength. The answers provided will help you to narrow down and accurately ascertain what your talents are. 5. Which of the world's issues are you most critical about? The world faces so many problems but among them, one thing resonates with you. It is most likely that the cause you are desperate to fight for is where your talents lie. So ask yourself, when I look around the society, what problem and disorder gets me angry the most? For instance, if you feel a burning sensation within you each time you see a pregnant teen girl, chances are your talents lie in coaching, either teenagers or both. If you get pissed at the terrible beats used to produce certain good songs, you probably have a knack for beats production. Deep thoughts and consideration, you may get confused about how you are to link your talent to those unfortunate situations. With constant personal development, you will begin to see the synergy between your anger and your abilities more clearly. 6. If you could do or be anything, what would you do and what will you be? When you visualize your ideal life, free from challenges, discouragements and life troubles, what do you see? One of the exercises psychologists ask you to do is the perfect day exercise. Imagine you could do anything, you had no limits or constraints at all, and you had all the resources and money to do whatever you want. The mind of a man is the powerhouse, it controls visually everything you do. So whatever you cannot picture in your mind as an activity to carry out, you will most likely not be able to bring it into reality. Likewise, whatever you can imagine yourself doing, you can be. And no, this task is not as easy as you think it is, it's not just about sitting and wishing to have a good life. When you dedicate time and focus on answering this question, you will find out that using your imaginative power is not as easy as you think. Because you feel deeply, you have the opportunity to learn more about yourself and discover your talent. 7. What are you enthusiastic about doing better? There are specific activities you carry out poorly but do not pay attention to. Whereas there are others you set expectations for yourself and when you do not perform up to your expectations, you get angry about yourself. German poet Johann Wufgang von Goethe once said the person born with a talent they are meant to use will find their greatest happiness in using it. If it is your talent, not only will you deploy it but you will seek strategies to utilize it more effectively. When you are enthusiastic about carrying out a task better than you did the previous time, it is a pointer that that task is your unique talent. So ask yourself, what activity am I passionate about improving in? What are the things I place expectations on before carrying out? In the words of John Maxwell, your growth potential is connected to your strength. In your weak areas, your growth potential is low but when you are working to improve your strength you have a higher capacity. 8. What do you do that brings results to you? One interesting fact about your unique talent is that it yields results even before you are fully conscious of it. Somehow you see yourself doing it effortlessly and get in mind blowing results. It is when you discover it and you don't take steps to groom it that it dies. It is just like taking a flower from the bush. Although it is nurtured, it blossoms but when you take it home and do not pay attention to its maintenance, it is sure to die. Please pay attention to the tasks you do that get you accolades and awards and groom them. Indeed, the reward for talent does not come immediately but if it is where you belong, even though you don't get physical wins, there is satisfaction deep within you. If you are getting frustrated fitting in a place, even though you were given your best shot, you probably are not supposed to be there. Ask yourself, what is that thing that brings results or in a fulfillment to me? 9. What is your life's purpose? Mark Twain once said, the two most important days in a person's life are the day they are born and the day they discover why. Your why is your purpose, the reason for your existence. A person who leaves his years without finding and fulfilling his mission is not truly living. He exists on the earth. When you define your life's purpose, you will begin to search for ways to deploy it. It is your talents that you use to fulfill your life's purpose. Thus, knowing your life's purpose can help you discover your unique gifting. When you find your purpose, you will be able to ascertain what is needed for you to fulfill it. As John Maxwell, author of Leader's Greatest Return, Attracting, Developing and Multiplying Leaders puts it, Know your purpose, Grow daily to reach your maximum potential and sow seeds that benefit others. Although there are discovery tests online which can help you assess your unique talents, the questions in this video will go a long way in expanding your thoughts and bringing the best out of you.