Talents

today I am thankful for the talents that have been given to me.

In some ways a post such as this feels a little bit "Braggity Anne" (as my friend Crash would say. BTW if you haven't voted for her in the Sam-e Good Mood Gig could you click that little button over there on the right and do so please??)

Yet I am so very thankful for my talents. You see if it weren't for my talents I wouldn't have been able to go to San Fransisco my Senior year in high school and sing "These Boots are Made for Walking" in front of random strangers in California. I love San Fransisco and can't wait to go back.

I would also not have received a scholarship to attend the University of Utah.

My talents give me an outlet for my creativity and I am thankful for that. Everyone needs an outlet.

When I was younger it seems that I was more sure of myself. More sure of who I was and what my talents were. Somewhere, along this road that supposedly leads to maturity I've lost some of that confidence and conviction. I've let that little voice of doubt and insecurity sneak in. And some days, that voice? It's not so little any more. Some days it's a giant roar of negativity inside my head.

Recently I went to a fireside where the stake president spoke. It was for the youth of our stake and he was speaking to them, I was just along for the ride. But what he said tugged at a part of me. A part that obviously needed to hear those words. I wish I had written down what it was but I didn't so I'm going by memory here.

He said that we all have the ability to hear that still small voice. And that voice is the voice of Deity. It is God speaking to us. Wanting us to listen. To hear what He has to say to us. But there are other voices that are pushing in and over powering this voice and we need to take control and tell those negative voices to be quiet. Not only do we need to tell them to be quiet but we need to effectively "Shut the door" on them.

I think maybe I was more in tune with the still small voice when I was younger, or I was stronger at pushing the negative voices aside.

At any rate, since hearing those words that night I have worked hard shutting the door on the negative thoughts and listening for that good voice. That gentle voice. That still, small voice. The voice that tells me

"You can do it."

"You are amazing."

"You are beautiful."

"You are talented."

So today I will listen to that voice and say, I am thankful for the talents that have been given me. They are my treasures. I hope that I can do them justice.