Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] You're listening to the Remote Mom Collective podcast, where moms can find their stride in the remote work world. Whether you currently work remotely or you want to, you're in the right place. I'm Brittany, the remote mom, and I've been working remotely since 2007. I became a mom in 2015, and there's a lot to learn. Together, we'll support, inspire, and empower each other on our journey to balance work, life, and motherhood. From the comfort of our own homes or wherever we're working remotely together, let's redefine what it means to be a working mom. Let's support and inspire each other. Welcome back to the Remote Mom Collective podcast. I'm Brittany, the remote mom, and I'm so glad you're here. This is season two, so a lot has happened in between season one and season two, and during the amount of time in between the two seasons, I had an opportunity to kind of look back on season one and reflect on things that I've done there. And I've gotten feedback and encouragement from listeners. So to those out there who have commented and sent me feedback, thank you so much for listening. I am loving this podcast and I feel like this is what I'm supposed to be doing.
[00:01:18] Even though it's not yet paid, maybe one day it will be, but this is something that feels good to me and it actually aligns with today's topic of talents and gifts being your soul's party favors, which it's kind of a fun way to think about talents and gifts as your souls party favors. But before we dig in, let me tell you a little bit about my new website. It's called TheReemote Mom. And then if you want to email me, it's momtheremote Mom. So I did it that way because my name, Brittany, is spelled differently and people tend to throw extra I's in there. They throw a Y or an A in there. So I just wanted to make it easy. MomHeremote mom and the website again is thereemote Mom. So if you want to go on and see about me, look at the blog posts from the podcast recordings. You can also sign up for the newsletter. So as a new episode is released, a newsletter will be sent out, and that way you'll know exactly when it's been sent out and then you can share it with other people who might need to hear that message for the day.
[00:02:26] You don't have to listen to this podcast in chronological order. You can skip around to whatever topic that resonates with you. On that specific day. And that's the cool thing about this podcast. So, you know, the first couple of episodes will introduce me to you so that you know who I am. But it's okay if you don't listen to those couple of episodes because I feel like if you go to the website or if you just listen to a couple of episodes, you'll figure out who I am throughout this, you know, your listening journey with me, and hopefully you'll go back and listen to all of the episodes and you love them all. And. And I'd love to hear from you and hear feedback and ideas that maybe you have if you'd like to be a guest. The guest form is on the Remote mom website. So please go and complete that form if you're interested in being a guest, and we'll see where we can fit you in. I do believe that a lot of people have good messages to say, no matter how experienced they are or how big of a following they have, each person has a story to tell. And I want to give everybody who wants to tell their story a voice. But the thing is, is I want to make sure that your story is relatable to somebody else. And all of our stories can be relatable to somebody else. But if you're going to come on the podcast and we're going to talk about you and your story, I want to make sure that it inspires somebody and that we relate it back to the listener, because that's super important. Right? So as you're applying for the or, you're filling out the guest form completion, think about that, about how don't come on to sell. I know we all have things. We all want to make money. I know that. But I'm really interested in speaking with people who are interested in sharing their story. And if that story resonates with somebody else, then maybe that person will be interested in working with you. But don't, please don't come on with just the intention to sell. I would love it if you could come on with the intention to help somebody else, and maybe your story can help inspire somebody else. So with that being said, let's jump into today's topic. We're just going to jump right in. Again, I am so glad you're here. And like I mentioned before, we're talking about soul gifts or soul party favors and how to figure out what those talents are are.
[00:04:51] So I feel like a lot of times when I have actually found things that I'm really good at, I'm doing something that makes Me feel effortless, like it's an effortless kind of activity. And I get so in the zone doing it, that time goes by and I have no clue that three hours have gone by. And it's kind of like that with this podcast, to be honest with you, and the remote mom.
[00:05:19] As I've been building this, this has been my passion, and it feels easy. Somebody said to me recently, how do you have the time to do all this stuff? Well, it doesn't feel like work to me because it's something that I enjoy doing. And in my downtime, that's what I'm doing is working on this podcast and working on the remote mom. And look, I'm not a content expert. I am not an expert marketer, but I do know what my passion is, and I do know that messages need to get out to other people who are in a similar situation as myself. And I feel like if I'm just helping one or two people, then that's good enough for me. Because honestly, this podcast is helping me out, too. So if I'm that one person that's helping, then by all means, I'm that one person that that's helping. But my point is, is if you find something that makes you feel happy and joyful inside and it feels easy, not so easy that it's boring, but it's easy enough that it makes you want to do more and makes you want to go to the next level and keep leveling up, that is your passion. That is your sole party favor. That is your soul gift.
[00:06:33] Those are your unique talents or qualities that you bring to the world. Each of us have different talents that we bring to the world. I know that spreadsheets are hard, and I don't believe that anybody's sole talent is to do a spreadsheet. I think maybe their sole talent would be manipulating numbers and figuring out formulas and how to make a spreadsheet make sense to somebody like me, who I can figure out a spreadsheet if I watch a YouTube video, but there are people with those special gifts, those soul party favors that involve numbers, and that's incredible. And maybe you really enjoy doing number type of activities. And like, my husband is kind of like that numbers to me. I don't want to play with them. I don't want to do them. They are not fun. So those would not be my sole gifts or soul party favors.
[00:07:28] These gifts are often tied to what we're passionate about or what comes naturally to us. So think about those things that come naturally to you. Are you A great organizer. Are you the friend in the group who always brings everybody together to go to dinner and make plans?
[00:07:48] Think about those things that just come naturally? Are you somebody that everybody comes to for advice?
[00:07:54] Are you the person that somebody calls when they have a flat tire and they need help?
[00:07:59] Who are you? What role do you play in other people's lives that they just come to you for? And what feels natural? What do you jump up and say, oh, yeah, I'll do that. That's kind of. I think what you could do is you need to think in your head. If someone said, I need a volunteer to do xyz and you jump up with no hesitation, what is that activity that you would jump up for with no hesitation?
[00:08:27] That would be your sole party favor, your talent, your gift.
[00:08:33] Each person has a distinct combination of these gifts, and discovering these gifts can lead to greater fulfillment and purposes. So, you know, some of us feel like, what is my life purpose? What am I here for? What is my life's purpose? I'm here for the greater. Like, I know I'm here for something bigger. I want to do something bigger than myself. Well, sometimes you got to start small to figure out what that bigger soul purpose is. And it doesn't have to be anything super extravagant. It can be something simple.
[00:09:05] By being a teacher. Being a teacher, you can make such a difference in somebody's life. By being a teacher, you can be a good neighbor. It doesn't have to be tied to your profession either. It can be something as just being a good, helpful neighbor and helping to watch the kids while the mom runs to the grocery store by herself, that kind of thing.
[00:09:29] It doesn't necessarily have to be tied to your profession as long as it brings you joy. Doesn't matter if it's bringing in money or not. If it brings you joy, that is amazing. And if it brings in money, then that's even better. But I think when you look at people who are truly, truly, truly happy with work and with life, they're doing stuff that they love doing. They do stuff that feels natural to them. But how do you get to that place? How do you understand where your natural abilities are? How do you even know?
[00:10:02] Well, if you haven't had the opportunity to test out new skills, you need to. Because how else are you going to know if you're good at it or not if you don't try? Sometimes we're not even. It wouldn't even cross our minds that we might be good at something until we actually try it. My recommendation to you Is get involved in some volunteer groups, get involved in community classes, and try everything you possibly can. If it sounds somewhat interesting to you, try it out. And you never know what kind of skill you might realize that you have.
[00:10:40] I realized a long time ago that I'm a really good organizer, like group organizer and community builder. I'm really good at that. And I'm not bragging, but that's something that is as one of my skills. I love bringing people together. I love connecting people and showing others how important they are and sharing talents of others so that they can help each other out.
[00:11:10] And I found that through volunteer work, I was in the position over many, many years in several different groups, in leadership roles, in nonprofit groups. And some of these, because they were volunteer groups, were kind of neglected in some of the experiences that I kind of jumped into because they were volunteers. So because it was volunteer work, it wasn't top priority for a lot of these people who were on the boat, on the board, or in charge of these volunteer groups. And so sometimes if things fell through the cracks, and what I got really excited about was figuring out where the cracks were and filling them up. And I also really loved recruiting and I really loved pulling people together and making. Making people, closing that gap and connecting people so that they felt like they had a support system and introducing people to other people so that it was inter. We were all intertwined and a supportive group with each other. And I didn't know that I had those talents until someone actually just asked me and they said, hey, you know, we know you're new, but you seem like a go getter. Do you want to try this out? And I at first said no.
[00:12:28] And then I thought, okay, what do I have to lose? And I jumped in and I started helping and I realized, wow, I actually have a talent for figuring things out and strategizing and bringing people together.
[00:12:42] And it felt really easy to me. So that is one of my soul party favors.
[00:12:49] One thing that I would like you to do, if you don't know exactly what your quote unquote party soul's party favors are, think about times when you felt truly in the flow of doing something that you were so engaged that you lost track of time. Maybe you were baking, Were you playing with children? Were you showing somebody how to do something? Were you working out? Were you working on your car?
[00:13:19] Were you building something? Painting?
[00:13:24] What were you doing working on a spreadsheet? What were you doing building a website? Think about all those things where it just felt so natural to you and you're like, oh, my gosh, three hours just passed.
[00:13:37] There might be something there in that activity that really is part of your passion, part of your soul's party favors.
[00:13:46] I want you to think about what tasks or activities that you enjoy doing and that you receive recognition and compliments for. What was the last thing you did that somebody came up to you and said, wow, I'm really impressed by the way that you did da da da da.
[00:14:01] I haven't said da da da da da in so long, by the way. I don't know why that came out, but think about those moments. There's something that you've done. Maybe you gardened in your front garden, and it looks amazing and people are complimenting you, and you're like, I had no idea what I was doing, and I just googled it and figured it out and I did it.
[00:14:25] There's your talent. There's something there. It may not be specifically gardening. Maybe it's teaching yourself how to do stuff, something new, so it doesn't have to be that exact activity. Maybe it's the process of that activity that you're good at. So start there to try to figure out what you're really passionate about. You got to try a bunch of different things. You know, I thought that I was really going to enjoy crocheting, and I got, you know, a couple kits, and I thought I would try it. And maybe it's because I was teaching myself. It just. I threw it. I was like, I'm not doing this. This is not fun. I also have really tried loving to cook. I don't love to cook. It is not a talent of mine. So, you know, because I don't love it, it's definitely not going to be a talent of mine.
[00:15:14] I think you need to probably journal if you don't know exactly what you're good at.
[00:15:21] Start journaling to identify patterns in your skills and your passions. And at the end of this episode, I can walk you through a journal entry, and the blog post going along with this episode will also have these prompts in it. But I think that you should write out, even if it's one journal entry or maybe a full week or a couple of weeks, maybe a month, where you're writing down what you're passionate about that specific day, and then go back and reflect and see where those patterns are over that. Over that period of time that you're going to be doing these journal entries. Maybe it's just one day. Whatever it is, I do think that you should start small by incorporating talents in daily activities. So for example, if you love organizing, if you get in the flow when you are organizing, see if you can help a friend organize their basement and if that brings you joy, there might be something there.
[00:16:20] Volunteer opportunities. I mentioned this before, but volunteer opportunities are the best way to get involved in something and really learn what you're good at and fine tune it. Because it's a volunteer organization, you're not being paid, you're not going to get fired. I mean, I guess they could ask you not to come back if you do a terrible job, but it's a great way to learn. Get in there and try it and find your passion. Find an organization that you really love, like say it's the Humane Society and you go and you want to volunteer for the animals. Go there, see what kind of opportunities they have. Maybe they have a volunteer scheduling coordinator that they need or front desk admin staff and maybe there's some projects there that you can learn about and try your skills. And then you realize that you're really great at logistics or you're really great at figuring out what they should order and budgeting.
[00:17:18] So you wouldn't know that you had those skills unless you tried them.
[00:17:23] So I really encourage you to seek out those opportunities to try new things. Even if it seems weird, but you have a little bit of an interest in it, try it out.
[00:17:34] There've been a lot of things where I've been like, oh, this seems really interesting. And then I get in it and I'm like, yeah, it's, it's interesting, but it's not interesting enough for me to delve into and to get into the Nitty Gritty. So then I know that's probably not my sole talent. If you are super excited to dig in to get into the Nitty gritty, then you are probably on the right path to figuring that out.
[00:18:02] Studies have shown that using your strengths can signify, can significantly improve your quality of life. According to Gallup, people who use their strengths daily are three times more likely to report having an excellent quality of life. That's from the Gallup Strengths Center. In 2021, they discovered this. So if you're happy, if you're using your strengths, you're happy. So we need to figure out what those strengths are.
[00:18:33] Sharing your gifts can also create a ripple effect and it inspires others to explore and share their own talents. So if people see how happy you are doing things that love, they're going to be inspired to find their own things too. As I hope that this podcast is Going to help you. It's really. I didn't really mean to do this today, like this particular episode, but I felt called to record this episode today because I was working on my website yesterday and I actually was going to start recording in a couple weeks. But I thought, I'm going to go ahead and record this episode and get it out there because I am so excited about this podcast and I'm so excited about sharing relevant topics with people and helping them and inspiring them to do good things in their life and find work and find entrepreneurship and find their passions.
[00:19:25] And so I hope that I inspire you to figure out what your passion is.
[00:19:35] Some people undervalue their gifts because they think it's too easy, right?
[00:19:40] So, like, ugh, it's so easy. It's so easy. But does it bring you joy? Does it make you happy? Then who cares how easy it is? If it's too easy, that just means you're great at it and maybe it's time for you to level up on it. Maybe there's an extra layer that you can add to it and then it won't be too easy.
[00:20:01] Just because it's easy also doesn't mean that it's not valuable to other people. If it's easy to you, it's not easy to somebody else.
[00:20:11] I also want to talk about imposter syndrome. I think we have a whole episode on this, and I think this is something that people talk about all the time is imposter syndrome, where we just feel like we shouldn't be there.
[00:20:25] This, you should reframe your self doubt into a belief that your unique combination of talents is enough. Right? And that's so much easier said than done. Gosh, imposter syndrome is so real and we all experience it. But a way that you could help get over that is that confidence of, I have these talents, I know I can do these things, and I am great at these things and I deserve to be here in this position.
[00:20:54] Kind of like this podcast. Who am I to talk to you guys about this? A lot of these topics I'm not an expert in, but I'm talking about them and I'm sharing information about them because I feel like it's important to share with other people. So I feel like somewhat of an imposter because I'm not an expert, but these are my passions. These are what excites me, and I'm sharing information and I love that.
[00:21:20] So you kind of have to just get over that, unfortunately. And it's easier said than done. But you Just have to kind of swallow that push that imposter syndrome shadow down, down, down, and just keep pushing it down and keep thinking about letting those talent, talent thoughts, your soul's party favors. Let those bubble to the top and let those shine.
[00:21:49] Community support and seeking out people who celebrate your gifts is so important because they help you reinforce their value.
[00:22:02] And it's so great. I know a lot of us are humble and we don't want to be recognized, but we do want to be recognized. We don't want to be seen as braggy or I'm the best and I'm so great. Look at all my awards and look at all my accolades and all my certificates and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. But we do, we want to be appreciated. If we work hard, we want to show off our accomplishments.
[00:22:29] And it's important to have a community around you who understands the hard work that you've put in and who celebrates that. And if you don't have that community, then I recommend you find that or you create it. You do what I did and create a community.
[00:22:48] I know. Easier said than done. If you need help, reach out to me. I'll help you get started on some ideas on how to create that community for yourself.
[00:22:58] But people who celebrate you are the people that you want around you because they'll help you remind yourself how awesome you are.
[00:23:10] You are awesome. We just need some reminders. Sometimes community is so important. So don't forget that piece.
[00:23:19] I just want to share a couple of stats for you, just to kind of help reinforce the importance of finding out what your true passion is. Finding out what those soul party favors are so that you can use those sole party favors in your working life.
[00:23:36] Hone them in, you know, hone in on them, refine them, and then you can start a business or you can. Your career can skyrocket off of a simple passion.
[00:23:50] So using one's strengths leads to a 7.8 increase in work engagement and a 6% increase in life satisfaction. That seems like a small number, but an increase is an increase, right?
[00:24:06] According to the study from the Villa Institute on Character, people who use their strengths more frequently experience a 9% increase in happiness and a 5% decrease in stress.
[00:24:21] Again, small numbers, but those small numbers add up.
[00:24:27] The things you are passionate about are not random. They are your calling.
[00:24:33] Fabian Fredrickson said that. I love that they are not random. They are your calling.
[00:24:41] Try to figure out what those passions are. See if there's a pattern somewhere in there. And maybe there's a business idea, maybe There's a career path idea there.
[00:24:54] I want to really emphasize that discovering and sharing your unique gifts is not about being perfect. We've talked about that Failure. You have to fail in order to learn.
[00:25:06] It's about showing up as the most authentic version of yourself and giving it a good try to learn to see if it's something you're truly passionate about.
[00:25:18] I have a 9 year old daughter and she tries all of the things and then she realizes what she likes and what she doesn't like and what she wants to focus on. Let's embrace our inner nine year olds and try everything without that fear of failure and just go in and try it because you never know what you're going to be good at.
[00:25:39] Now I do want to let you know that if you go to the Remote mom website, there'll be some a blog post that'll accompany this episode and I'll give you some journal prompts. So I really think that if you do some journaling, it'll help you discover your skills and your passion so you can figure out what your soul's party favors are. And it'll help you uncover your unique strengths and interests by examining past experiences, daily activities, and your sources of joy.
[00:26:11] So set aside some time, grab a pen and paper, go to the blog post that accompanies this podcast episode. So just go to the Remote mom and you'll go to the blog page and you'll find the episode there. I'll also link it in the show notes for this episode. But go there and you know, I want you to find a quiet space. I want you to think back on three times when you felt a deep sense of accomplishment or joy. What were you doing and why did it feel so fulfilling? So start there and then think about when you got in flow, when were you in flow and lost track of time? And think about compliments and positive feedback and what are some other activities or topics that excite you, maybe that you've never tried before, but you've always wanted to try something new and you never had the opportunity. Maybe take that opportunity to try it out because that might be a passion of yours.
[00:27:12] What could you talk about or do for hours without getting bored? What do people tell you to stop talking about? That might be a good indication on what your passion and your soul's party favor and your talent could be.
[00:27:26] So start there.
[00:27:29] Let me know what you've discovered. I'd love to hear from you. MomTheRemote Mom. Or share with me on social media Again, I'm on LinkedIn Instagram, Facebook. I'm mostly on Facebook and LinkedIn. To be honest with you.
[00:27:44] Instagram and Threads have kind of gone to the wayside, but I will do my best to get back on there. But please share with me what you have figured out and if this has made a big difference in your life, I'd love to hear it. As we wrap up this episode today, I want you to remember what our saying here is on the Remote Mom Collective podcast. Being different. Being different makes a difference. So let's support and inspire each other. Have a great day. Talk soon.
