Talents as truth revealed

Amidst all the clutter of psychological pain and personal histories that obscure under-developed abilities, discerning someone's hidden talents calls for great pattern-recognition abilities. Recognizing a hidden talent is a lot like playing "Where's Waldo? or finding the obscure animals in the bushes of an illustrated children's book. The distractions people dish out can be overwhelming and very misleading. The majority of the superficial evidence usually says there is:

• "no talent hiding in what you're seeing"
• "nothing here to develop"
• "no way this person will become more resourceful"

The more talents I successfully recognize, the more I realize they were there all along. The talents merely needed someone to see them clearly and act as if they are real. These talents are the truth of the person being revealed to anyone who seeks another's authenticity. Finding this truth frees me of their dramatic distractions and frees them of their chronic limitations. Discovering this truth is a rewarding experience for both of us.

When we watch someone argue for their limitations, we can get a sense of their truth. If it seems like they're lying, faking it or covering up the truth. That feeling I get of being misled makes me curious about what will soon be revealed. I feel like a detective on the prowl for clues with my wonder/fascination dial set on "full power". I watch with intense powers of observation for what will be leaked, hinted about or suggested indirectly.

When I suggest to someone they have a hidden talent, I usually avoid a direct confrontation. Rather I pose a scenario, wonder out loud about a possibility or pose a choice that has been overlooked. When that someone realizes the talent I suspected was there all along, she or he says things like:

• I've had glimpses of being into this all my life but I've disregarded it to deal with other obligations
• I really do have a natural fascination and ability to contribute in this way
• Now that I see it, I cannot stop thinking about developing this talent in me
• No wonder I keep having dreams and running into coincidences that call my attention to this talent

When reflections like those get made, I know the truth of their talent has been revealed. We're on the right track and barking up the right tree. The mystery of "what the talent is?" has been solved. Now the mystery of "how it will develop fully and make a difference? can be explored.