It’s a new year and a new chance to be kinder to ourselves. I love the challenge issued by Dalene in this post from January 2008, and we invite you to answer her question at the end in the comments today:

Now it’s your turn. Please fill in the blanks:

“My name is_____________and I’m a good_____________”

~~~~~

There were a zillion reasons to say “No.” I can’t pronounce “Segullah.” I don’t even run around the block, let alone finish full marathons. I’m too old. And while I’m fairly certain I can write better than a number of the reporters at a certain local newspaper, I can’t hold a candle to many of the bloggers I know. But the invitation to join the Segullah board and help with the blog was extended and eventually I said “Yes.”

I had no idea what would be expected, but I was clear about one thing: I did not want to post on Wednesdays.

Since Fall of ’06, the wonderfully clever, creative, entertaining and fresh-voiced C-Jane practically owned Wednesdays at Segullah. I could always count on her to provoke me into enough thought for the rest of the week. But Courtney became with child (Hooray!) and chose to retire. Then December came and the über-talented Carina wrote Wednesdays. Of course she did not disappoint.

So when Maralise asked me to take Wednesdays in January I outwardly groaned.

Those were some pretty stylin’ heels to follow, even on just a temporary basis. Simply put, I knew I was not worthy of Wednesdays.

Nevertheless I humbly agreed and promptly started thinking. I wondered if it were possible I wasn’t the only one who deprecates herself to the point of failing to recognize and maybe even to appreciate and fully use her gifts? (Am I ungrateful because I cannot even bring myself to use the word “talent?”)

I already knew the answer. I cannot tell you how many times I have grabbed the shoulders of one of the remarkable and talented women I know, looked her in the eyes and said, “If only you could see yourself through the eyes of those around you.”

Perhaps we struggle so because we are trying to reconcile two seemingly contradictory qualities: humility and excellence. I considered both.

Humility. Are we under the impression it is somehow vain or prideful to recognize our strengths and talents? Does humility truly require that of us–that we fail to acknowledge capabilities with which the Lord has blessed us?

Excellence. In our quest for excellence and perfection do we sometimes fail to appreciate the need for the simply competent? In a world seemingly full of Polly Perfects is there a place for a Merely Adequate Maria?

Does the possibility surety that others may be better at something than we are completely negate the fact that we are at the very least capable?

All this led me to wonder, “Do we–the women of our faith–need a 12-step program to help us stop beating ourselves up and begin acknowledging our gifts, talents and qualities?”

I’ll start: My name is Dalene and I’m a good writer. (I cannot begin to tell you how hard that was, but don’t even think I’m letting you off the hook. Keep reading.)

Next I wondered if our reluctance to recognize our gifts sometimes prevented us from using them for good?

I was reminded of my first month out in the mission field. Soon after I arrived in Herstal, Belgium, the elder who had been serving as the branch pianist completed his mission and returned home. Of course there was no prelude music at the very next Sacrament Meeting. I pretended not to notice. Despite years of piano lessons I was merely OK at piano and even less adept at accompanying. So I smugly sat on my hands and waited for someone else to step up.

The chorister got up to lead the opening hymn a cappella. And then it hit me. “I’m all they’ve got.” I swallowed my pride and offered to play. And although my repertoire was limited (is it ever OK to sing “I Am A Child Of God” for the opening and the closing songs?) and there were occasional missed notes, during the rest of my mission I did serve humbly wherever I was needed.

You’d think I’d have learned my lesson. But this seems to be a subject for which I frequently need a refresher course.

What about you? Are there gifts you have that you might overlook or understate? Talents that perhaps go unused for some reason?

Now it’s your turn. Please fill in the blanks:

“My name is_____________and I’m a good_____________”