Crediting Myself

I have a hard time admitting when I am good at something. Deep down, I have confidence; however, I don't always express it because I don't want to look boastful. I know that I am not the only person that struggles with taking credit for doing something well. For some reason, I always think someone else can do it better. I lack confidence in my gifts. 

Today I had two different people reach out to me for help. One of them wanted help writing. She was searching for the right diction and grammar. More than anything, this person was hoping to sound scholarly as she prepares for the next step in her career. She assured me that I was the right person for the job. "Your writing always sounds smart." As I started looking through her pieces of writing, I couldn't help but thank God at that moment. He has blessed me with the gift of writing. Why can't I just admit that to myself? 

Later in the day, I headed down to our school's weight room. I am the assistant coach for our girls basketball team this year. A few of the girls asked me to teach them some workouts. It has actually been a lot of fun because I love planning workouts and developing circuits. As we were huffing and puffing from a set of lunges, a girl mentioned that I should be a personal trainer. I went on to say that I always kind of wished that I had pursued that in one way or another. We concluded with some abdominal exercises. "I don't get how to do that," she said with a confused look. It hadn't even dawned on me that someone wouldn't know what side crunches were. My body is used to bending and moving in those ways; however, these movements were foreign to her. I constantly compare myself to fitness experts, wishing I had more knowledge and wanting to look like them. I forgot that I have actually worked hard to stay healthy. 

Until today, I hadn't given myself credit for my gifts. It felt good to give back to others. After all, that's what those gifts are for.