We’re all “good” at something. We may not shout it from the rooftops but in our quiet moments we know that we do something, probably better than most.

It’s more than an opinion about our special skill because it’s been validated by others too many times to be self aggrandizement.

So what do you do with your special brand of magic? Use it for the benefit of others and yourself. That gives your magic a purpose, rather than just being something that you can do.

Early on, I found that my special skill was finding flaws – not a skill that’s easily marketed. I could meet someone and know what their shortfall was in an instant. I found out quickly that people don’t like hearing what’s wrong with them.

It’s still a work in progress for me but I had to find some other magic to balance my natural tendency to spot spots. That skill was helping people find a way out of tough spots.

That meant I had to find a way to have them reconnect with their internal resources to have them find a remedy. That’s when my skill set became marketable.

Like I said, it’s still a work in progress for me because I sometimes find myself to be “heavy handed” on the front end of my approach.

My friends would call it being “direct.” Others who don’t want to protect my feelings that much call it “throwing a hand grenade under the table.” Both are apt descriptions.

There are times that direct works best, but not all the time. That’s what I’ve come to realize over time.

But enough about me. How do you make sure your brand of sorcery isn’t just black magic?

Get curious about what you’re not so good at that would add some balance to your brand of magic.

Are you a great hostess who wants their own restaurant but are uneducated when it comes to business? Bone up on the business end or you’ll be out of business before you begin one.

Are you a gifted musician whose family and friends tell you how talented you are but the only crowds you are playing for are at family picnics? Find an employed musician, with no more skills than you, and find out what they’re doing and start doing that.

There is a push-pull effect when you find the complimentary skill to your magic. It pushes you to do more and it pulls you out of potentially deadly tailspins.

You can certainly defend your brand of magic and not search for its compliment. My personal experience with that approach is that you’ll be pulling less rabbits out of hats and trying to pull a solution out of your ass.

All the best,

John