Inside all of us is a wealth of untapped potential far beyond our own imaginations and belief. There are hidden gems just waiting to be discovered, explored and excavated. God put us on this planet to not just breathe, but to serve Him by serving others. It is difficult to help others if we ourselves have not developed or expanded into the magnanimous, dynamic beings that we were created to be.
So often the mundane chores of life have blinded us to the rich possibilities and treasures that lie within all of us. Just think, if every single person tapped into the unlimited power that lies within the caverns of our hearts, how much better the whole world would be. We were not designed to live meager lives of complacency and mediocrity, but rather, become the giants and masters of this universe with gifts to be shared with all.
The following are steps to take to pull out the gold that lies within the minefields of our souls:
1. Pray every morning in gratitude to God for the many gifts that lie within.
2. Give gratitude to God for the opportunity to explore and share your gifts with others.
3. Write your heart's dreams in a notebook.
4. Sit alone and write down all of the things that you would do if you had no time or money restraints.
5. Write down what you would do to make life better for others.
6. Look for inspiration in nature that will give you clues into your inner being. Does the sight of a warm, sunny day excite you? Do you feel inspired to sing by the sounds of the ocean? Does walking on the beach and hearing the waves incite you to write a song?
6. Write down what you like to do as a hobby.
7.Write down the name of a person that you admire and tell why. What attributes do you most admire in this person?
8. Do you like to write, draw, or paint?
9. What is one thing that you always wanted to learn? Write it down.
10. Remember that you were created by a kind and loving God.
11. Take time to reflect on what others say you are good at doing. This will give you clues to what your gifts are, also.
12. Reflect upon what truly gives you joy when you are engaged in it. Do you just love making cakes for others? Does your heart just thrill when you are quilting, knitting, gardening, etc.?
13. Make a pictorial board of images that attract your attention from newspapers, magazines, pamphlets and place these on a poster board or notebook. As you reflect upon the pictures you choose, notice common themes. Do you select a lot of pictures relating to the same themes. This will give you insight into your true passions in life. For example, did you select many pictures related to plants or flowers? Maybe you have a passion for gardening or landscaping.
14. Notice what you constantly daydream about. Write it down.
15. What do you often talk about doing "one day"?
In essence, we were not put on this plane of existence to just bide our time. We have much to do before leaving this earth. We have love to share, songs to sing, and hope and encouragement to offer to the world. Don't leave this world without digging deep within to pull out and shower an awaiting community, city and even an awaiting world with the unique offering that your soul has to share.
Dr. Emily DeCarlo is a fascinating woman with a very strong belief in God. Her faith leads her to know that nothing that God does is insignificant and therefore, we do not have to live limited, mediocre lives. She espouses to the belief that God is great and therefore greatness lies within all of us. She is the author of several books of poetry, one of which was used as a supplemental text for English 211 at Virginia State University. She also has written a manual entitled "Using Poetry to Promote Linguistics and Language Acquisition" which was used in the graduate Special Education Department at Virginia State University. Another manual that Dr. DeCarlo has penned is entitled " The Crab Effect". It is a manual based on the story of Joseph in the Bible. The subtitle is "How to Handle the Haters in Your Life". Dr. DeCarlo is an evangelist, author, poet, researcher and entrepreneur. She is in the process of developing the DeCarlo Institute for the Healing Arts, a center for research relative to the promotion of wellness and the maintenance of healthy lifestyles. The center also addresses different approaches to maintaining and promoting health such as Thai bodywork, meditation, faith healing, and Ayurveda medicine. Dr. DeCarlo also uses poetry therapy to assist others in facing and resolving life's tests and trials. Her book entitled "Poetry for Healing" is soon to be released. She is a licensed and ordained minister and has served as an associate minister and head of the Daughters of Esther Women's Ministry for the past ten years at the Mt. Carmel Baptist Church at 925 Arlington Road in Hopewell, Virginia. She also has a poem " Epiphany" which was published in Essence magazine in 2008 (January edition). Her CD of anointed poetry made its debut in 2009 and is still available today.She was inducted into Sigma Tau Delta Literary Society for outstanding contributions to literature. She performs her original poetry for various occasions and events around the country. She has traveled to China to view the education system and learned some of their Ancient Chinese Medicine practices during her approximately two weeks tenure there.