Discovering Your Talents and Gifts - (Finding Your Something)

Finding Your Something

Discovering your talents (your Divine Gifts) will bring you closer to understanding your purpose, your reason for being here. Discovering your talents and gifts can make you happy, content and fulfilled which in turn will make you a blessing to others.

Seek Spiritual Guidance
Because the Master of the Universe has placed these special gifts within us, it might be wise to seek His guidance to discover what they are. 

Let’s go to the Scriptures to see what the Word of God says about this.

 Romans 12: 6 - 8 (New International Version) -   We have different gifts, according to the gifts given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

I Corinthians 7: 7 (New International Version) - I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.

I Peter 4: 10 (New International Version) - Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.

The Scriptures indicate that we have all been given individual, specific gifts. Trying to operate in other gifts and talents only causes frustration, stress, disappointment, depression, unhappiness, misery, dissatisfaction, anger and no passion in what we are doing. We are just simply trying to get through life, and then what? We don't feel that we have anything to look forward to and we feel that life has no purpose.

When operating in our God given gifts, we are happy and fulfilled. Our gifts and talents ultimately help others and can be a real blessing to them. You cannot operate properly if you are trying to be something you are not supposed to be, it’s like telling a fish to live out of water and survive.

Sometimes we find ourselves struggling against ourselves.  We find ourselves paddling upstream in our careers and in our lives and wondering why we are not going very far or very fast.  This is because we are operating outside of our gift.

Have you been ignoring the people around you (family, friends, colleague’s etc.) who are always telling you how good you are at something?  I’ll bet most of the time you just blow them off and say “ah, that’s nothing” – sound familiar?   I will go back to what I asked in the beginning.  What do you enjoy doing?  What comes easy to you?  What would you do for free?  Think about it and I can almost assure you that you have found your calling.

Discover Your Calling
Each of us has a high calling that we are obligated to follow. When we follow our calling, this brings God great glory and us great joy. The quest to discover our calling begins with four facts that we should know for certain:

 1. Our calling is embodied in our gifts, both natural and spiritual, that were given to us intentionally by divine design.

2. Our gifts come with a responsibility: "As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

 (1 Peter 4:10).

 3. Our gifts allow us to do excellent work, make our greatest contribution to the human race, and do the "good works" God had in mind when he designed us.

 4. Sometimes this is difficult. What God has in mind can be costly, inconvenient, and countercultural.  In other words, sometimes we may have to step outside of our comfort zone.

Stepping outside of our comfort zone is usually very scary for most of us but this may be just where we need to go to get to the place that we need to be.

Embrace Your Calling
I urge you to seek God’s guidance as you start to become more aware of your specific gift or talent.  You could have the gift of communication, the gift of listening, the gift of singing, building, cooking, organizing, hospitality, or even caring for hurting people and a strong desire to help them have a better way of life.   There are many, many gifts you just need to find yours.  Once you have found it, embrace it.  Don’t get distracted or start to doubt because your gift may not make you a millionaire or your gift may not make you famous or your gift seems to be a lot of work or your gift seems so insignificant.

Take stock of your talents. Don't minimize them. Don't belittle or bury them. Don't say, oh, I'm just a kidney, I'd rather be a mouth. Or I'm just a big toe; I'd rather be an eye. And of course, don't get proud and say, "Look at me. I'm a hand; look at that old toe over there." We're all needed. We're all important. And it is from the small and simple things that great things are brought to pass. Thank the Lord for the gifts you've been given, use them to the best of your abilities and God can do great things through you.

To Your Continued Success  ~ Miss Julia

JuliaGrayonLine.com

 

 

Discovering Your Talents and Gifts - What is Your Something?

Discovering Your Talents and Gifts

What is Your Something?
My favorite thing to say is that -  “Everybody came here with something”.  Some special gift, some special talent.  Many people find out early on what their ‘something’ is while others spend a lifetime trying to discover their ‘curve ball’.  Everyone is good at something.  It may be writing, singing, speaking, working with your hands, cooking, gardening, drawing etc. Some people can manage well, some are creative, some can sell, the list goes on.  When you understand what you are interested in and what you are good at, you can make fulfilling career choices and discover your major definite purpose. Think about the things that you like, the things that you really enjoy doing, the things you would do for free and chances are you will soon discover your ‘something’.

Think about where you are right now.  Do you find yourself frustrated with life? Do you feel like a fish out of water? Do you long for peace and happiness?  If any of these describe you in any way I urge you to dig deep within and examine  these questions - what profession did you choose for yourself?  Did you choose your profession because it pays well?  Did you choose your profession because your mother or father wanted you to or perhaps you are carrying on a family tradition.  Whatever you are doing for whatever reason~ ARE YOU FULFILLED?  If you are not fulfilled then ask yourself these questions -  What are your dreams?  What makes you happy?  What do you enjoy doing?  These are areas you need to really explore.

So How Do You Know What Your Gifts and Talents Really Are?

Take a few minutes to think about yourself. You already possess many abilities, things you accomplish without even thinking about it, without effort. Many things you have learned and mastered are now easily achieved. What talents of yours have been fully activated? These are the talents you use routinely, things you can do easily.

Make a list of everything you can do easily and things you really enjoy doing. There is no limit to how long your list should be.  You may find 5-10 or 20-30 items on your list.  You may be surprised to learn about all of the abilities and qualities that you already possess. You will also discover that you have more than your obvious, visible talents, you also have stored talents. These stored talents are talents you know you have but you are not using them. Now you may have excuses for not using them like,  “I’m too busy, I don’t dare to, I’m not sure if I’m good enough at that, I’m afraid to make a fool of myself, I’m too old to start that now,” and so on.  Sound familiar?  However, another reason may be that you fear your life might well take a totally different turn when you start focusing on this talent of yours!

It’s possible that you alone are aware of your talent for singing or acting. Maybe you’re a writer in disguise. But you’re afraid to come forward out of fear. You are afraid that you’re not good enough after all, or that you would have to quit your current way of living when you are truly “discovered!”

Review Your List of Talents

This list that you created of your talents contains your key talents. Key talents are qualities that are outstanding  that you are known for, qualities that are so typical for you that, if one took them away from you, you wouldn’t be the same person anymore. What are these talents or qualities? Can it be your enthusiasm, your communication skills, your creative skills, your sensitivity, your organizational talents, your brilliant voice, your expertise in a given area or what? What talents do you have that are such a big part of your identity that your friends cannot imagine you without them. These are the most visible and outstanding. What are you known for? What would your friends say about you if they had to describe you in just a few words?

These key talents and qualities are your gifts (from God) the core of your mission on earth. They are the purpose of your life. Discovering your talents (your Divine Gifts) will bring you closer to understanding your purpose, your reason for being here.  Discovering your talents and gifts can make you happy, content and fulfilled which in turn will make you a blessing to others. 

To Your Continued Success  ~

Miss Julia

JuliaGrayOnLine.com

10 Ways to Help Nurses Improve Patient Satisfaction

10 Ways to Help Nurses Improve Patient Satisfaction

Rebecca Hendren, for HealthLeaders Media , September 6, 2011

Improving patient satisfaction is a financial imperative. Nurses are on the frontline of patient interaction and can make or break the patient experience. So why do we make it so hard for them to have positive interactions with patients?

Here are 10 changes to nurse procedures and working conditions that would improve patient experience. Some are simple, others more complex, all are effective.

1. Scripting: Many fear that scripting means fast food restaurant–type rote responses. In fact, it’s a useful tool when handled correctly. Scripting empowers nurses with tools to make their communication with patients easier. Regular discussion and training about patient interactions ensures nurses know what is expected. A scripting example: the hospital expects that all nurses will introduce and identify themselves and their professional credentials to new patients, and explain the treatment regimen. Scripting gives nurses tools for handling issues such as delayed procedures and lost test results. It also gives them tools for difficult situations such as deescalating angry patients.

2. Supplies: Keep frequently needed supplies in patient rooms and restock regularly. Maintain a multitude of stockrooms and supply cupboards and don’t make nurses walk miles to track them down. It’s frustrating for patients and staff when nurses have to stop what they are doing to track down supplies.

3. Uniforms: In many hospitals, RNs are indistinguishable to patients from the people delivering their meal trays. Consider choosing a defined scrub color for RNs to ensure that patients know who they can talk to and who is looking out for them.

4. Hourly rounding: Make a commitment to hourly rounding, and you will see patient satisfaction go up and call bell usage go down. Patients feel better when they know someone will be in to check on them within an hour. Alternating visits between RNs and nursing assistants ensures that the time commitment is manageable – and helps both groups plan their workflows since they no longer will spend so much time running after constant call lights.

5. Sitting down: Something as simple as sitting down when talking with patients can make a huge difference in satisfaction scores. Sitting down at the bedside implies that the nurse has time for the patient and is actively interested in the conversation.

6. Patient education: Make time for patient education. Nurses are pulled in a thousand different ways and often feel obligated to complete patient education as quickly as possible. But this time spent one-on-one means so much to patients. We know that patients often are too overwhelmed or intimidated to process information provided by physicians during initial diagnosis or post-procedure, and they look to nurses for easy-to-understand translation of difficult or complicated news. Put a value on this time with patients so that nurses will prioritize it.

7. Bedside report: Instead of conducting report at the nurse’s station or break room, do it at the bedside. Patients should be empowered to take an active part in their care. Increase their autonomy by discussing report in their presence and encouraging their involvement.

8. Nurse-led initiatives: Don’t simply hand down service improvement programs from above and tell nurses what to do. Programs driven by nurses have ready-made support and are often much more effective. Nurses will be more engaged in improving patient satisfaction when they develop ideas themselves and are accountable for success or failure.

9. Nurse empowerment: Nurses with autonomy over their practices provide better patient care. Ensure that the nurse practice council is robust and able to make decisions about clinical practice. Empower a nurse staffing committee to make decisions about safe patient care.

10. Demonstrate caring: According to Gallup polls, nurses are the most trusted professionals in the country. People can relate to nurses, whereas physicians can be intimidating to ordinary patients. The best patient satisfaction scores happen when patients feel genuinely cared for and cared about. Most nurses do this automatically. They bring an extra blanket or sit down and hold a patient’s hand for a few short minutes to provide comfort. Value these small details and recognize them publicly so that nurses know these parts of their role are just as important as the rest.

All for The Patient   ~ Miss Julia

JuliaGrayOnLine.com

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Rebecca Hendren is a senior managing editor at HCPro, Inc. in Danvers, MA. She editswww.StrategiesForNurseManagers.com and manages The Leaders' Lounge blog for nurse managers. Email her at rhendren@hcpro.com.

WHY WHAT'S GOING ON IN IRAN, THE US ECONOMY AND THE GLOBAL ECONOMY ~~ HAS TO DO WITH ALL OF US!!

For all of you who think that these events in Iran do not effect you. For all of you who think that the crisis on Wall Street, the Banking and Automobile crisis and everything else that is going on in our country and around the world does not affect us ~~~ THINK AGAIN!!. Everything, Everywhere affects all of us!

How to Stay Married for 37 Years ~ The Old-Fashioned Way - Tips for Newly Weds and Oldie Weds

THE SPARK !
All rightttyyy then, you have found Mr. or Ms Right- Love of your Life.  You think about them every waking moment, pick up their call on the first ring, can't wait until your next physical encounter (I mean lunch, dinner or a movie); gotta be everywhere they are; your heart just flip flops at the sound of their name.  You are sprung and you feel that you cannot live without this person.  OK, so you decide to seal this in the bonds of Holy Matrimony...... Believe me I do understand,  been there, done that!

REALITY
OK, the wedding is over, all of the bridesmaids have gone back to Chicago, or Atlanta or Birmingham or where ever they came from. All the relatives, friends and co-workers have picked up their casserole dishes from the Bridal Shower and you are back from the Honeymoon ~~~ Now What??  You  will soon learn that a big beautiful, expensive wedding does not equal a great marriage.

For the sake of this discussion, I will assume that you had ample time to get to know each other before the big day.  However, let me say this - living with someone (as in marriage) is a lot different from having lunch or dinner with someone (as in dating). 

During dating you generally have plenty of time to look your best and dress your best and always present well.  But as some of you may already know, in marriage it does not always work that way.  There are a lot of reasons why you may not be able to look your best (you may be ill, you may be stressed from a day at work, you may have been dealing with the kids all day) or what about just waking up in the morning ~ listen, believe me, people only look good in the morning on TV and in the movies.

Getting to Know Each Other Really
OK, let's see, some things that are starting to 'get on your nerves'  (spending too much time watching TV ( especially sports, or playing video games, or bringing work home or  spending too much money shopping, leaving stuff laying around, changing the channel on the car radio while you are driving, etc.- oh, the list goes on....)

Now, watch this, I can guarantee you that most of the things that get on 'your nerves' now, are things that attracted you in the first place.  Just think about it; whatever your 'nerve' issue is, I invite you to rewind the tape and see how you were condoning  that behavior in the beginning of your relationship.  Do you remember how you used to sit and watch TV together or how you used to 'not' complain if his 'game is on', or favorite show was on.  Remember when you bought him that video game for Christmas or his Birthday?  Remember how you used to pick up behind him and just chalked it up to "guys are messy like that"?  See what I mean?

But You Fell In Love ~ Really
So, here's the thing - you really fell in love with this person and you can look beyond behaviors and all of the things that really don't matter anyway, because beyond these things is the person you love.  And really, your greatest desire is to please that person, make them happy and make them understand that they are needed and appreciated.

You Will Have Ups and Downs
Ups and Downs are a part of life.  As you grow together, many things will influence your relationship such as children, jobs/careers, finances, relationships with family, friends and co-workers, JUST STUFF!!  But through it all when you discover that you love this person no matter what, then you will understand what true love is all about.  And if you have difficulties in your relationship you will always have a point of reference and that point of reference is the love that you truly have for this person. 

Falling in Love All Over Again~Tips for Maintaining and/or Regaining that Spark!! 
All of the following examples mentioned here are things that my husband and I implemented and maintained throughout our 37 years of marriage.  I realize that everything may not be for your but that's OK; get ideas from the ones you can and then implement and maintain your own.....

• Candlelight Dinner at Home~ This is truly my #1 favorite.  Your dinner can be whatever you want; but we  loved grilled steak with onions, mushrooms and green peppers, chilled Chardonnay, old school music in the background and candles burning all around.
• Note:  If you have young children at home your first step will be to arrange babysitting for them.  If you have teenagers in this house, you may want to choose a night that they are staying over with friends or out to a movie (maybe you can create a 'night-out' for them).
• Leave a Love Note ~ I did this all the time.  If you haven't thought of this before or if you have not done it in a long time~ this can be one of the most romantic things that you can do for your spouse.  I would leave notes under the pillow, stick a note inside of his lunch bag, stick a note right on top of his sock or underwear drawer; stick a note inside of a book that he was reading, stick a note in his favorite section of the Sunday paper (that would be the Sports section).  I will tell you this is a great thing to do ~ so let your imagination run wild and stick notes wherever works best for you and your relationship.  
• Dinner at  Your Favorite Restaurant~ Instead of a dinner at home, go out to your favorite restaurant.  This is really great if you do not get out too often. The two of you can enjoy good food and good conversation (and no dishes).  However, this also requires making arrangements for the kids.
• Go to a Hotel or Bed and Breakfast (In town or Out-of-town).  This was probably my #2 most favorite thing to do.  When we were in Europe there were so many little cottages everywhere where you could spend a night and have a continental breakfast in the morning; these were fantastic and so very cozy.  These days you can find wonderful cottages almost anywhere in this country (most states have them) where you can spend some great quality time together.  On the other end of the spectrum hotels like the Embassy Suites, the Marriott, Ramada and Holiday Inns and Suites with all their amenities make for a fantastic weekend together.
• Guys- Take Care of the Kids and/or Do a/or some Chores and Give your Spouse a Night Off~You should be sharing these responsibilities anyway. But if you feel that doing chores and taking care of the kids is not in your job description - Think Again...On the surface, this might not sound so romantic, but let me tell you it means more than you know. Sometimes just doing a few dishes could make all the difference in the world.  Romance and intimacy happen when the two of you are together, alone.  If you show your spouse that you understand that she is stressed out and exhausted from dealing with the house and the kids and that she really needs a break, this will indicate to her that how much you really care and how deeply you are connected to her.
• Making Out in the Moonlight ~ Do you and your spouse spend time just 'making-out' anymore?  I am not talking about a couple of long kisses that lead right into sex.  I am talking about just spending time in each other's arms just kissing and holding each other-often without words- and just remembering why you love each other and remembering the times that you have shared together. When we were in Germany we lived on the 3rd floor and we had a balcony and many nights we would spend the whole night together in our lounge chair just talking and looking at the stars and the moon and really expressing our love for each other.
• Guys~The Age-Old Classic:  Flowers and Chocolates ~ Well, you say "who does that anymore"?  Bringing flowers and chocolates is such a classic (old-fashioned) move that you don't see much of these days, except for maybe Valentine's Day or Mother's Day.  However, it still works outside of these special  days.  Flowers and/or  Chocolates show that you are thinking about your spouse and that in itself is romantic, and can open up an opportunity for a new kind of intimacy in your relationship.
  

Commitment is the Key. It will take careful thought and planning and a commitment from both of you to create a marriage that will sustain the test of time. You must work together everyday  to build and maintain a strong, healthy, enduring  relationship. I know, we did it for 37 years...


To Your Continued Success and Well Being!
Miss Julia 



JuliaGrayOnLine.com

Why a Lead/Capture Follow-Up System is the Best Option in Building your Contact Base or better known as your LIST….

LEADS LET YOU DOWN??

Many Internet Marketers spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on Pre-packaged-Opt-In Leads. The average person starting out and many seasoned marketers find this to be an overwhelming expense; many times leading down a disappointing path of ‘cold calls’ that virtually ‘lead’ –nowhere.

It is understood that in order to build a successful online business you must develop a large and ever increasing Contact Base or List. The best way to do this is through a system that will allow you to recruit others into your business. In order to recruit effectively it will help to have a list of like minded people who are interested in what you have to offer. Ideally, this will not be some list that you buy off of the internet but rather one that has chosen to ‘opt-in’ to your Lead Capture Page and one that you have built an ongoing relationship through your ‘automatic follow-up system’.

People are more likely to act based on the recommendation of someone they –

- Know
- Like
- Trust

When you first contact a “normal” lead you do not meet ANY of these three criteria. Therefore, it’s always somewhat harder to ‘sell’ them on your opportunity. It is for this reason we must stop looking at people as “leads” and start looking at them as fellow entrepreneurs with whom we are looking to form a relationship.

Rather than constantly trying to get more leads and then close them on a particular opportunity- Instead, seek out like minded individuals, and form a relationship with them via e-mail and the Internet.

Consider these Lead Building Tips:

Utilize a Lead/Capture System

• Learn how to get the most out of Auto Responders and Traffic Exchangers etc.
• Find out where you can place ads that produce favorable responses.
• Develop relationship through Forums and online chat that are pertinent to your business or opportunity.


Now, when ANY opportunity arises you will have a group of like minded people who know, like and trust you and who are open to consider your opportunity. So remember, stop thinking of people as “leads” , instead, focus on forming a relationship with them regardless of whether they join your business or not.


Much Success !
Julia Gray

Google Me ~~Julia Gray Online

Google Me Talk Radio Jim Killeen

Jim Killeen's adventure through the search engines of GOOGLE to the far corners of the Earth have given him a knowledge one can only obtain throughout the journey.

Computers are now a focus of our daily lives rather than an addition to the tasks we perform each day. Computers have become a very defining part of our existence. Strictly checking our occasional emails has become a thing of the past.

Bringing the computers out of the den and into the main living area of the home for researching information, watching videos and sometimes gathering advice on the many websites available through the world-wide web has added a whole new arena to the significance of computers in our daily existence.

GOOGLE has produced the greatest impression and has enabled web users to connect, seek, and ultimately locate each other. It's a Wonderful Thing!!

GOOGLE Me The Movie, Jim Killeen, and Blog Talk Radio are merging together for a one night event on GOOGLE Me Talk Radio! Thursday night April 24th at 8pm ET.

This will be an exciting evening with The Host of GOOGLE Me Talk Radio, Jim Cobb and 'The GOOGLE Me Man with the Plan', Jim Killeen.

Be sure to spend some time at http://www.GoogleMeTalkRadio.com for the entertaining evening.

Social Networking & Personal Branding ~Wave~ of the Future !

Leaving the Corporate World - Coming Home...

As many people are leaving the corporate world and creating home businesses, the trend toward Social Networking has become a very popular way for people of like-minds to both communicate and share ideas and opportunities. It provides an avenue for people to establish a place within the Social Networking Community. There are many established Social Networks which means there is something to meet everyone's interests, desires and needs. Also there are some networks that allow you to profit from your relationship with them.... that's a good thing.

GIBLINK is one of the Social Networks that allows you to profit while being a part of the community. Global Internet Business Links (GibLink) provides its members an opportunity to invest in their Social Networking Community through their very innovative concept of Revenue Sharing.


Also on the cutting edge of Social Networking is a very unique group of individuals known as --
My Virtual Marketing Team. MyVMTeam is taking Social Networking to a whole new lever. Through mentoring, training and sharing this group makes it possible for all members to succeed regardless of what business or service a member may be involved in. No one is left behind.




Gerald Franklin from AskGeraldFranklin.com (also a MyVMTeam member) writes..

"A huge benefit of those utilizing social networking is connecting with others that have the same interests or are part of the same industry".

Social Networking also makes the internet experience more personal as well as exciting and fun. "Success in Social Networking through Branding Yourself" will provide an avenue for you to establish your place within the Social Network Community and also the ability to maintain your place by 'Branding' yourself.


Social Network Communities are Becoming Hometowns Online...

A Social Network Community can become your 'Hometown' online. People meet, greet and become friends; share joys and sorrows; participate in community events, volunteer to help others in the community who may be new and trying to find their way around. Dialog with community members is provided through forums and online chat; and just as in any other community there are business people who have products and services to offer, that people in the community need, desire or want; so they put up their 'store fronts' and let people know who they are. As they establish themselves over time they develop a 'name' or 'brand' for themselves, and now everyone in the community knows who they are.


So What Happens when You Venture from Your Hometown into the 'Larger' Community?

In small towns most people know each other quite well -but when small town people venture out into the 'larger' community they must establish themselves and make themselves known. This is generally done through some form of advertising via newspaper, brochures, radio-tv ads, handing out business cards etc. Please understand, the internet -is- the 'larger' community' for the Network Marketing World, so even if you are well known and have established relationships within a Social Network Community, you are a 'little fish in a big pond' in the 'larger' community of the internet, thus the need to 'Brand Yourself' and make yourself known.

The 'Google Me' system is the best way to do this - create your online Profile and Bio, publish a Blog-type Bulletin, display your business card(s), present yourself in a professional manner for whoever it is that needs to know Who You Are..

Jim Cobb from GoogleMeTalkRadio (How to Build your Business through Personal Branding) writes...

"As an independent professional, and a self employed online small business owner one of the most challenging tasks is marketing “YOU”. You know how to do what it is you do really well, you know you can offer value to people, you just don’t know how to locate people (prospects) and convince them to use your services or products (become customers)".

"The important thing to understand is that right now is the best time to start building an online marketing system using Google Me. Many online markets are not crowded and it is easy to find a niche you can dominate. I guarantee there are people out there searching the web for “YOU” and what you offer".

This industry is growing at a rate of 89% a year ........

If you are currently marketing online or if you are thinking about starting an online business consider adding Social Networking and Personal Branding as necessary Elements for your business success...


* Start Branding Yourself with the "Google Me Revolution"...
* Follow this link GoogleMe2Day.com


* Profit from Social Networking....
* Follow this link FriendsGlobalNetwork.

Grace & Peace
Julia Gray aka 'Miss Julia'
Visit me @ JuliaGrayOnLine.com