Written by: Tanja Bogataj, M.Sc., Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Few months ago I took some time off of coaching to reflect on my journey, and to get clarity on the path forward. It took me back to the time when I was in my first coaching certificate training 10 years ago and I started to pick up all accessible information linked to coaching.It brought back a memory on some shifting moments on the path. There was one special day when I saw three separate messages, ‘Universe is my coach.’, ‘I’m receiving my gifts.’, and ‘Thank you.’. Somehow all three connected, and something clicked inside of me. I was on a new path. In years that followed, I received an immense value and benefit from ‘coaching’ by being trained as a coach, by being coached, and by using my skill set, experiences and other gifts as a coach. The more I’m into it, the more it reveals its yet-uncovered potential and unpacked gifts. In this article, I invite you on a journey to explore your most amazing gift that you’re given in this lifetime-your life. I invite you to receive this gift by unpacking gifts within this gift called life.
And those of you who are ready to step in and step up, I invite to take the LIFT UP so you can accelerate and multiply your success by using your gifts.
I. Giving and Receiving The Gift
“It was a shocking, yet profound experience, to see my dad just a few minutes after he passed on. There came a sort of a half scream out of me in disbelief and confusion if this is really what I think it is. Each moment fell into another, with tears pouring down my face uncontrollably, while my mind and body were aligning with this new reality. Contemplating this moment and experience, I wrote these thoughts: One Life to Live = Impacted by Many + Many to Impact. One can’t demand from life more than it is. One can only give life the freedom to express its power through living and creating.” (excerpt from my blog post One life to live) Our life, performance, and service reflect the level of out self-awareness about our potentials, limitations, visions, goals, and other gifts that we have and are available to us. They reflect our ability to transform them into something positive, like learning, growth, development, motivation, inspiration, achievement, realization, impact, and other gifts that we can share with the world. “Life is what we made of it. And it takes love and respect for life to fulfill it, to create of it what was meant to be for you. Embrace life. Give more love into your life. There is so much more you can be in it. There is so much more to love, to create and to give. Give it all.” (excerpt from my blog post “Embrace Life”) Using my signature be powerful and free® method I often ask people how they live their life if it’s their power and their freedom. How would you answer?
Just pause for a moment, and give yourself a gift of some good thinking:
’’What is the reflection of you living/creating your life as your power and as your freedom?’ “If there is nothing in your way (even YOU), what do you want to create today / this week / this month / this year by living your life as a gift of your power and your freedom?”
For some additional inspiration you can do some mind-stretching on how to stop wasting time and energy and start bringing more life into your life (link to video, duration 22:30).
II. Unpack your 7 gifts within The Gift
“Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility by giving something back by becoming more.” ‒Tony Robbins
Choose 7 areas of your life, and find, embrace and integrate the following 7 gifts within the gift called “My life”:
1. Gift of Experience An invite for you: Explore the answers on the question: How do you give and receive this gift? 2. Gift of Learning An invite for you: Explore the answers on the question: How do you give and receive this gift? 3. Gift of Growth An invite for you: Explore the answers on the question: How do you give and receive this gift? 4. Gift of Improvement An invite for you: Explore the answers on the question: How do you give and receive this gift? 5. Gift of Empowerment An invite for you: Explore the answers on the question: How do you give and receive this gift? 6. Gift of Gratitude An invite for you: Explore the answers on the question: How do you give and receive this gift?
7. Gift of Impact An invite for you: Explore the answers on the question: How do you give and receive this gift?
“We only have what we give.” ‒ Isabel Allende
I invite you to collect all these 7 gifts within 7 areas of your life, and keep going. Continue the journey. Have faith that there’s something more in it for you as it is seen on the first glance, and besides the obvious. As Brené Brown says in her The gifts of imperfection, “Faith is a place of mystery, where we find the courage to believe in what we cannot see and the strength to let go of our fear of uncertainty.”. Keep going with unwavering faith in your heart, and unpack also those gifts from the place of mystery and uncertainty.
III. LIFT UP your gifts
The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world's problems. That difference is the gap between good and great. And what closes that gap is our willingness to stretch. ‒ Mahatma Gandhi
I invite you now to continue your journey and LIFT UP your gifts by following three simple HOW TO ways by using the gift of time. For your self-leadership and leadership daily practice you can do some further Mind-stretching on“How to LIFT UP your gifts” (duration 26:26) by using this link. LIFT UP your gifts using the gift of time:
1. LIFT UP your GIFTS by using the gift of your present:
Connect with your core, and come to “your here and now”. Visit your “Gift Bank”. Connect with your gifts. How many gifts do you have? Which gift is your favourite, and why? Which gift you keep forgetting? How does it look like when you’re giving and receiving your gifts? Now LIFT UP your gifts:
If your next goal seems like a ‘mountain’, which gifts you’ll need to use, give and receive to LIFT yourself UP on the top of the mountain?
What needs to change from here to there?
If your life is a gift, how you’re going to live it during ‘here and there’?
2. LIFT UP your GIFTS using the gift of your past:
Leverage the gift of your past to fully receive the gifts of your experiences. Write down 1-100 gifts you have received from your past. Multiply your gifts of the past by sharing them gifts with others. What’s one way that you can do this today?
Now LIFT UP your gifts:
Revisit those shifting moments from your past, and re-give yourself 100 gifts of your experience by watching them from your today’s fresh lenses.
Celebrate your gifts, and share them with others.
3. LIFT UP your GIFTS using the gift of your future:
Get ready to embark on the journey to the unknown. Where are you going? Which gifts do you need to get there? Which gifts you already have to get there successfully? Now LIFT UP your gifts:
You’re one decision away from your desired future. Which decision do you need to make?
Make that decision today.
Keep in mind:
“You are powerful beyond measure whatever you do with your energy. You can make magic by using and sharing your gifts of power and freedom to add more love and beauty into your life and living.” ‒ Tanja Bogataj
Dear reader, I wish you to choose daily to be powerful and free and give the world the best of you so you can be and do the difference you are here to be and do. Keep inspiring by your example.
Tanja Bogataj, M.Sc., Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Tanja Bogataj, M.Sc. (www.tanjabogataj.com | tanjabogatajcoaching@gmail.com) is a Leadership Coach and Consultant, Founder of the be powerful and free® approach, Host of be powerful and free Platform, Founder and CEO of the Power for Change Institute. Tanja’s motto “In the world where you can be anything, choose to be powerful and free while making a difference”.
Sources and References:
Brené Brown, The gifts of imperfection, 2010;
Tanja Bogataj, Embracelife, be powerful and free® Platform,blog post https://www.bepowerfulandfree.com/embrace-life/, 2017;
Tanja Bogataj, “3 tools - From wasting time and energy to bringing more life into your life”, Mind-stretching be powerful and free® Session, TBC YouTube Channel, https://youtu.be/8BldOwNXqnw, August 2022;
Tanja Bogataj, “How to LIFT UP your gifts” Mind-Stretching be powerful and free® Session, TBC YouTube Channel, https://youtu.be/qLni6oaLasU, November 2022;
