Sounds like the beginning of a country song.
And somehow, that seems fitting as we recently lost Dolly Parton and Gloria Steinem, two women who used what they had in very different ways.
These women could hardly have been more different and both left an enormous mark on the world.
One used her talent to entertain millions, build a remarkable business and quietly give an enormous amount back. The other used her voice to fight for women’s equality. Different talents. Different passions. Different paths.
But look a little closer and there is something they had in common
They figured out what they were good at. They figured out what mattered to them. And then they did something with it.
Dolly Parton used her talents and her success differently. She invested in the things she cared about: children, books and education. Her Imagination Library has given hundreds of millions of books to children, and her high school graduation program paired students as accountability partners, giving them an incentive and someone to help make graduating happen.
Gloria Steinem used her talents as a communicator to fight for women’s equality. And she didn’t do it alone. Her partnership with Dorothy Pitman Hughes, a Black feminist and community activist, brought different perspectives together as they traveled the country speaking about women’s rights, race and class.
Two very different women. Two very different passions. Both found ways to use their talents to do something that mattered to them.
That’s what I find so interesting about strengths. We often talk about strengths as the things we’re naturally good at. But our talents are really clues. They can tell us where we bring energy, what we notice, and where we might have something valuable to contribute.
But talent isn't enough. What we do with it matters.
Our strengths aren’t necessarily telling us what job we should have. They’re telling us something about how we might make a difference.
And that’s a big part of why I do what I do. I’ve spent much of my career helping people discover what they’re naturally good at and then figure out how to use it. I’ve never been drawn to boring training. I like creating experiences that help people see something differently and then do something differently.
Because I believe people are more capable than they sometimes realize.
Sometimes they just need someone to help them see it.
So maybe the question isn’t : What am I good at?
It’s: What Will You Do With What You’ve Got?
Because discovering your strengths isn’t the finish line.
It’s where the fun begins.
Summer can become a strengths laboratory. Pay attention to what energizes you.
Ask yourself:
- What role do I naturally play in a group?
- What activities leave me feeling more energized than when I started?
- What do other people keep asking me to do?
Those answers often point directly to your greatest talents.
When September rolls around, don’t leave those insights behind with your flip-flops. Bring them back with you.
Look for ways to design your work around what naturally gives you energy instead of what simply fills your calendar.
Because the goal isn’t to become someone different. It’s to become more of who you already are. And sometimes, all it takes is a little sunshine to see your strengths more clearly.