Have I Buried My Talent?

So, I was at a production of Annie Get Your Gun the other night, and it got me thinking. I watched all those talented people, singing, dancing, acting - and I was amazed at what they could do. Almost everyone I know has  a skill/talent that they are the best at. I know at least two phenomenal piano players, several incredible singers, runners, dancers, writers, and artists. Even my family is full of talent. My cousins and uncles and aunts are all musically talented as well, singing, acting, and performing in various capacities. I even have an aunt that writes/arranges music.  My brother Chris is a musical prodigy (he's too humble to admit it though), my dad is incredible at fixing, building, and/or installing just about any household appliance ever made, and my mom, well, she's talented to simply be a mom, but I think having the courage to join the church against her parent's wishes, move from Ireland to Utah, and serve a mission in Canada takes a lot of spiritual talent. And there's even my youngest brother Ethan - he's just a genius (don't tell him I said that) and I know he's going to invent something revolutionary one day. But, what about me? What is a talent I've been given from my Father in Heaven? What gift has He given me that I can use to bless the lives of others, and more importantly, am I developing the talent(s) I've been given to the extent that I should? I've thought long and hard, and I'm still not sure how to answer any of these questions. Sure, I like to sing and be in choir, but I'm not anywhere close to being a great singer. I also have been told that I'm a good writer (these blog entries are not good examples of that), and although I admit I may be above average, I'm nowhere near good enough to, say, get an article or book published. I could always develop that potential skill I suppose, only problem is I don't like writing :P. So, maybe there are some things I enjoy or have a knack for, but what do I have that nobody else has? What can I do that nobody else can? What has Heavenly Father given me to do that none of His other spirit offspring can? Often, I think, we have hidden talents, ones that aren't noticed by others because they are not as visible. Whatever gift I have, it must be really hidden, because it's not even visible to me. I guess it's time I started my journey to find it!

Me Being Me

So, I'm not even sure I'm going to be very diligent about updating this blog, but I'll give it a try!  I'm not going to spend any time talking about my background and all that, because hopefully those of you (if any) that follow this blog already know who I am. Anyways, last night I got ANOTHER message from a friend on facebook telling me I'm always writing depressing messages. I admit that sometimes I'm a downer - but I think people misinterpret the things I say sometimes. I used to be REALLY negative, but I think I'm a lot better than I used to be. So whenever people tell me I'm negative, it's rather discouraging and upsetting, because I feel I'm much more positive than I used to be. I think sometimes people mistake my sarcastic sense of humor for negativity. My brand of humor tends to be more dark, which simply means I've learned to laugh in the face of trials in life. So, take it or leave it, but that's my view on my own personality, and I should know better than most, right?