Ideas on the Concept of "Gifts"

For a several years now, I have been thinking about ideas related to how we might understand the concept of “gifts”--or in other words, those abilities and talents we possess that we can use for our own benefit, and the benefit of others:

• Gifts are things we both receive and give
• A gift is something we feel grateful for
• A gift is free, or perhaps better stated, given freely
• A gift is something you have always had; it was not acquired or purchased
• The use of a gift is something that can be developed
• The way gifts are used is often enhanced or directed by assets you acquire
• The use of a gift is most often unconscious, but it’s use can be directed consciously, by choice and awareness of the gift
• We feel joy in using our gifts, but it is critical to recognize that the joy we feel comes from the service we render to others by sharing them