Choices, not gifts

By Joseph Appah

Every human can boast of ever receiving a gift from a loved one. I have received many gifts from my loved ones too. Indeed, gifts are not worked for. We receive them because someone just wanted to give us.

As humans, our gifts are not limited to what a family member, friend, or colleague gives us, but also the gifts that have been given to us by God. From birth, we’ve all been endowed with so many gifts from God.

These gifts come in so many ways. For some, it is their physical beauty. For others, it is their gift of the gab. While some are very good at manipulating numbers with strong numeracy skills, others are good at learning languages in the twinkling of an eye.

For some, sporting activities come in so handy to them. While some discover these gifts early in life, others find theirs much later. Be that as it may, everybody is imbued with such precious gifts that we must be forever grateful for.

What is noteworthy about gifts is that every one of us has them. Therefore, the difference that we create in our lives is mainly based on the choices we make. It is our choice to first do soul searching to unearth the gift (talent) or not. And after the gifts have been made apparent, it is our choice to either develop them or not. And if we settle on the decision to develop the gifts, it then becomes another hurdle of choice to either utilise them or not.

Our lives are constructed by the choices we make, not the gifts we have. There have been many people who have died without making the choice to use their gifts to benefit humanity. Others have chosen to go the way of abusing drugs which have destroyed their lives in such ways that they cannot get out of the rat race of poverty.

It is our choice to live a comfortable life or to live in abject poverty. Our choices influence our actions. When we decide to choose the path that leads to living comfortably, our thoughts are connected to the same. This keeps us focused on the goal and we further make choices that lead us to that end.

Our preference to impact the world positively is not a given. It is a choice. Whenever we think of our abilities to create a safer world for all and sundry, we begin to make a choice. And this choice will eventually reward us.

Many people have indeed abused their gifts to dupe others. For example, there have been many who have perverted their knowledge of biblical passages to deceive others. Others have also used religion as an excuse to shirk their responsibilities.

Some who possess the gift of the gab have also misused it to get the masses to commit some of the cruellest acts in history. Adolf Hitler was a talented man who could use his persuasive abilities to impact the world positively, yet he chose to move people to engage in what had been recorded in history as one of the most barbaric acts of the twentieth century.

Another one who used his scientific ingenuity to bring atrocities to humanity was Alfred Nobel. Before he created the world’s most prestigious award, the Nobel Prize, he once engaged in manufacturing dynamites that were used to destroy people. Many people were maimed as the dynamite detonated in landmines. It was the same ability of the human to choose to change that made Nobel, upon realising that his earlier choice had cost many lives, instituted the awards system that he is today known for.

Our gifts, in themselves, do not mean anything. Our gifts, ordinarily, are useless unless the choices are made to utilise them for their gains.

For those who have great mathematical skills, the choice can be made either to apply their skills to better themselves and the world or destroy it. Great mathematicians have graced the earth with their ideas which have culminated in the invention of many life-saving devices of our century.

The point certainly must be reiterated that every single person has gifts. We can make the choices to discover these gifts and make good use of them that distinguishes us from others. It is our choice to follow the status quo or try to be creative with our gifts to benefit humanity in much higher ways. This brings to the fore what Albert Einstein is quoted to have said that it is insane to do the same things the same way and expect different results. This is why business cannot be as usual.

The Parable of the Talents as recorded in the biblical passages is one of the most profound accounts of how important it is to make choices. In the story, there was a master with three servants. The master gave his servants talents when he was leaving them to embark on a travel expedition, albeit different amounts of the talents.

In summary, when the master returned after some time, two of the servants had worked with their given talents and profited from them. The master was very glad to hear of the choice they made to put what he gave them to use. The other one also made a choice. His choice, though, was to hide the talent given to him.

Therefore, he brought out the only one that was given to him. As expected, the master was disappointed about this servant’s choice. Finally, the story continues that this disappointing servant was thrown out of his master’s house. And yes, the master also chose to throw him out.

The parable highlights the essence of making a conscious decision to use gifts for our good. Gifts themselves cannot do anything. It doesn’t matter the quantum of the gifts. They remain the same if nothing is done to them.

Until we realise that we are practically constructed by the choices we make every day and not the gifts we possess, we surely cannot make any impact. Let’s focus on making well-thought-out choices that are aimed at contributing to the advancement of the cause of humanity.

The writer is a Certified Educator, Professional MC, Public Speaking Coach and Storyteller. He’s an expert in writing and publishing children’s books – fun and didactic stories called Mmoas?mSeries.

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