Owning gifts can feel scary in a world that seems only to reward one way. While reading a book called The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer, he joked that writing a book on acknowledging our limits would make a boring book, but to me, it piqued my nerdy interest. In our society, we wear overworking like the newest designer purse, ensuring everyone sees. Anyone who desires a life with boundaries and regular rest is told they are lazy. As mentioned in this post, the hustle culture is the core pain point in many of our burned-out lives.
Quitting has been a hot topic lately, and I found it quite humorous, as this isn't some new phenomenon. Many people for decades have been disengaged by their work, yet the fundamental need to have income in a society that discards you if you don't is ever-present. In light of the past few years, many people are unhappy with the life they created, often out of necessity, and are pushing back on tone-deaf employers. Many people, unfortunately, can't make loud protests, so it happens covertly and passively. When you have bills to pay yet struggle, the passive doing only the bare minimum is a coping mechanism for working outside one's limitations.
Understanding your limitations provides you with freedom. Limits are boundaries that guide us in how to engage with people and places. From my project manager's perspective, limitations provide the scope of our lives. If you quickly scroll through motivational content, much of it screams that you are the limit. However, we all have our gifts, and they make us no higher or lower in society's scale.
Now, what society may hold dear is fleeting at best, and often, we are chasing the stamp of societal approval. For instance, many women pursuing their careers burn themselves out by trying to be all things to all people, partly due to societal standards that don't embrace women in the workplace but still demand them to tend to the home exclusively.
When researching the term limitations, the definition of limited ability, a defect or failing, appeared. When you're trying to outrun failure, as it has such a negative connotation, we are burning ourselves out unconsciously. If you derive your worth outside of yourself, you will always be enslaved to going outside your limits to a fault.
Some limitations are self-imposed that we use to self-protect in society. Understanding and acknowledging one's limits allows us to operate in the way we are designed optimally. For example, if you're moving and trying to fit a sofa in your 2-door sedan, you will run into issues as it operates outside its limits. Limits are placed on various things we use outside to prevent possible injury.
Acknowledging your unique needs provides you with all the tools you need to craft an enjoyable and rich life. For instance, when you are well-rested, your perspective changes, and your ability to make connections is sharper. The increased visibility of mental health and other health breakdowns in society indicates how we have crafted an unsustainable lifestyle, yet are unwilling to acknowledge and rail against our design.
Much of our refusal is due to various ideologies in the world and the need to do more to make ourselves seem shiny and valuable and thus protected. As great as technological advances are, we are languishing behind, as we are constantly unable to keep up. In my life, I have found that operating within your gifts helps alleviate stress and allows you to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Understanding your gifts allows you to show up more engaged
When you're doing something you enjoy, you can get lost in it. I have worked with many people over the years, and it's never lost on me that it's almost infectious when working with someone excited about their work. When you operate from gifting, you will be able to find solutions and become even more efficient in your area of expertise.
Embracing your gifts allows for mediocrity to fall
My natural talent is speaking, and it comes effortlessly. I get excited at large crowds, and it just amps me up more to perform well. Technical difficulty or any issues that may pop up don't stop the show. Working within areas outside my limits always felt like a chore and was suffocating, requiring me much more downtime, which often wasn't great as I constantly dreaded having to work again. Embracing what I'm truly good at limits opportunities; however, it enhances the opportunities I seek as I know I can show up fully.
Embracing limits allows for joy
When you waste time doing things outside your wheelhouse, you miss opportunities to use your time in the areas you do well. For example, I recently had to remove myself from a project as I found my skills weren't up to the task. In the past, I would continue to flounder and make a mess of things; however, knowing when to quit and pivot helps me see my limits and reroute quicker. This takes a realistic assessment of your skills and also a comfortable ego.
You should feel empowered to push yourself and know where to stop. A disciplined person understands that I can either put more effort into something that isn't made for me or use my gift correctly. It may be hard in a society that pushes maxing out everything; however, focusing actively on your life should be your heart's desire. When you know your capacity, you can enjoy it and live the life you desire, no matter who approves.