What’s your Unique Ability?
I was just reading about a key part to creating a lifestyle of freedom and fulfillment.
It’s a book by our new business coach, Dan Sullivan, in which he talks about the Unique Ability.
Every one has one. Discovering and fulfilling it will bring maximum happiness in life.
He presents four criteria to help you find yours.
- It’s a superior ability that people notice and value.
- You’re passionate about it and want to do it as much as possible.
- It energizes you and other people.
- You keep getting better at it, never running our of possibilities to improve it.
Discovering your Unique Ability gives you purpose. Purpose is one of the pillars of happiness and a long life.
Our challenge to you is to find at least an hour to brainstorm and ponder on what your Unique Ability is.
In fact, we’d love to hear what it is.
Please share your Unique Ability with the community in the comments below. I’ve kicked things off by sharing my own Unique Ability below.
P.S. I plan to get back to my team-building series soon. I haven’t forgotten.
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My Unique Ability is teaching people skills and systems for progressing to higher level of freedom and fulfillment in life.
I exercise this right now through my business, Internet Business Mastery. One of the reasons I love doing the show is that it is a high leverage mechanism for teaching. In spending just a little bit of time I reach tens of thousands of people for months and years to come.
One action leads to ongoing big results for myself and others.
Teaching energizes me. I am constantly thinking about how to be a better teacher. I enjoy doing it as much as I can. It brings value to others.
What is your Unique Ability? How do you exercise and fulfill it in your life?
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My unique ability is being able to translate technical topics in a way that beginners can understand. (Very helpful when giving presentations to management about what it is you are doing!).
I’m planning to jump out of the 9-to-5 with my c programming membership site, teach-me-c.com.
I’m not there YET, but mark my words within 4 years I’ll be writing in asking if you want to do MY cubicle escape success story.
- John
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Jay (Jason Van Orden) Reply:
John,
That’s a great ability. We look forward to having you on the show when you escape the cubicle.
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My ability is explain computer problems so the average user can understand it. I currently work IT full-time in my cubicle and I run my pc service business at night.
I’ve figured out how to market on the internet but I’m still looking at how I can turn that ability into passive income. I hope to find out soon!
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Jay (Jason Van Orden) Reply:
Bryan,
You’re in the right place to figure that out.
Keep at it and it will get increasingly clearer how to live your Unique Ability as well make money at it.
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My unique ability is teaching also. I have been teaching at-risk teenagers for 10 years. I love to see the light bulb come on when a revolutionary new thought penetrates the brain. I also enjoy the challenge of staying relevant, funny, and engaging when speaking to an audience
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Jay (Jason Van Orden) Reply:
Trevor,
I like how you included a specific target audience for your Unique Ability. Knowing who you do your best work with is also an important part of success.
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My primary motivator is curiosity. My primary passion is discovery and learning. My deepest sense of fulfillment is sharing useful information. My unique ability is making complex information simple to understand then sharing that information through storytelling in a way that inspires, energizes and influences people. My biggest challenge is bringing all this together to grow a successful online business.
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Jay (Jason Van Orden) Reply:
Garry,
I love that description. I resonate with it a lot. Learning is a fulfillment factor that I have to have present in my life as well.
As I learn, I’m continually thinking how to apply and teach the information to help others.
Is there a particular audience/market that you like to serve most — that you feel you do your best work with?
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Garry Reply:
Hi Jay,
Nice to meet you and to meet a kindred spirit. I have an idea that I’m rolling around.
Last week I parked a dot com domain that describes the niche I believe I can do something with. There is some competition in the niche which shows there’s a market. But no one is doing what I’m thinking about.
Currently I’m working a one page business plan to try and take the idea to the “workable and profitable” business concept stage. But it’s a challenge. One day I’m convinced it’s a goer and the next all I can see is confusion and doubt. I guess this is the muddling stage.
I am being a bit cautious because I can turn a firefly into a blazing sun in a heartbeat.
Thanks for taking the time to talk with me. I appreciate it.
Garry
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Jay (Jason Van Orden) Reply:
Garry,
That is a normal feeling to go through. The best thing you can do right now is just act on it. Take bold consistent action.
What is the worst thing that can happen?
There will be no time wasted since every step will teach you more about how to live your UA online and make money at it.
Action breed confidence and self-esteem.
At the very least, get a blog online and start creating content.
My unique ability is being able to quickly and easily learn new skills to effectively solve any range of problems and to craft solutions for people.
The best thing about it is that I am great at showing others how I do it as well, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE teaching people and seeing them break through their blocks and reach new levels.
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Jay (Jason Van Orden) Reply:
Colbycheeze,
Seeing people have a breakthrough from something you have taught them is indeed very fulfilling.
Is there a particular kind of information that you like to teach most?
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My UA is playing and teaching guitar as well as teaching musicians how to make a living in this new economy.
Right now my partner and I have a website teaching beginners acoustic guitar and we’ll be launching around 10 more sites teaching different styles and different languages.
I also write and contribute for Guitar Techniques Magazine and get the chance to meet and interview world class guitarists.
I love guitar and the opportunities we have using internet marketing techniques to provide us with the tools we need to succeed and live the lives of our dreams.
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Jay (Jason Van Orden) Reply:
Charl,
Very cool! I love guitar as well. I got a two-year guitar diploma in college. I haven’t ever really taught guitar, but I have a passion for helping musicians as well.
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Charl Coetzee Reply:
Awesome! We should have a virtual jam sometime! :-)
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Jay (Jason Van Orden) Reply:
What’s your primary guitar?
My acoustic is an Alvarez. My electric is a PRS McCarty Amber Burst.
Charl Coetzee Reply:
Nice one! The PRS McCarty are awesome…
I have a 57 Reissue Fender Strat, PRS Custom 22 and recently got a Musicman Silhouette from Musicman to use in my new tutorial vids. Quite pumped about that…
For acoustic I have a Larrivee LV05…
Do you have any vids of your playing online?
Got some old performance vids here http://www.myspace.com/charlguitar
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Andy Richardson Reply:
Hi, what is your website? My wife and I both have an interest in this.
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Charl Coetzee Reply:
Hey Andy, our beginner’s site is here http://www.rhythmguitarzero2hero.com and we will be launching a few style specific sites in the next few month’s for rock, blues, jazz, funk, fingerstyle etc. For now the Acoustic for beginners is live and ready…
Jay (Jason Van Orden) Reply:
Just watched “Fun in B Major.” Good stuff. Nice and melodic. Great tone. Takes skill to make the guitar sound like it is singing.
Here’s a recent performance that we did to open up a dance concert. This is a redone version of Blind Melon’s Change.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6UvvYouEhU
My wife is singing.
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Nice post, and good question. I do believe everyone has a unique talent, but that it is buried at varying levels of depth.
My talent is being able to deeply listen to people and understand them. People seem to open up to me with their problems and concerns, almost immediately. In fact, just yesterday I talked with a nice woman, who was 100% a stranger, for 45 minutes about her children and the struggles she is having with trying to get her husband to be more involved. I really felt her pain, and felt like I could help this man become a better father if only I could reach him.
I’m a father of three young children myself and have learned so much about fatherhood just by paying attention and listening to other fathers. I’d love to create a community of like-minded young fathers to discuss the issues and challenges they face every day.
As Jay & Sterling say in the Academy, really dig deep to find this skill, you DO have it in you! As a student of the academy myself, I even recommend going no farther than course 2 until you re-aquatint yourself with your talents. Once you do, you will be amazed at how this will boost your self-esteem. You will begin to have a constant stream of ideas for starting your own business that are inline with your true self!
-Ben (bengee)
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Jay (Jason Van Orden) Reply:
Ben,
I love how you talk about self-esteem. You are totally right that discovering and pursuing your UA contributes to self-esteem (my definition of which is that you believe you are deserving of happiness and that you have the ability to achieve it for yourself).
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One of my unique abilities is to inspire. I do it through Internet Business Mastery as well as in person with friends an family. I love to inspire someone to think of something they have never thought of before or plant the seed that they can do something they never thought they could do. I have learn that you can NEVER change someone, but you can inspire them to consider changing their OWN mind and actions.
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Jay (Jason Van Orden) Reply:
“I have learn that you can NEVER change someone, but you can inspire them to consider changing their OWN mind and actions.”
Very wise indeed!
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I love teaching, inspiring, empowering and even challenging people to grow personally & financially whether they are entrepreneurs or simply love their day vocation (some people really love being a doctor, nurse, firefighter…we need people who actually save lives in real time:-). I love bringing out the best in people by helping them through personal branding and marketing. Now I’ve oportunities to help people bring their gifts out into the world and empower them to leave their own legacy.
Thank you Jay & Sterling for continuing to teach & inspire me!
Cheers!
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Jay (Jason Van Orden) Reply:
I love your UA. I can really feel your intent as I ready your comment. I also relate a lot with it.
Imagine how the world will change the more people use their UAs and empower others to do so as well.
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Charmaine Reply:
Thank you Jason! No matter what line of work & business we do which changes throughout our lives, what matters is we find sense of contribution & fulfillment being great at it. I also like what you said on your podcast to change 1 habit at a time instead of multiple which can lead to overwhelm especially when I’m wedding planning:-) So like you & Sterling, I commit to working out 3x/wk @ the gym, writing on my wedding blog for 15 minutes every day, and working on internet business for an hour every day. Oh I also commit to having lots of fun & celebrating life! We’ll be in Pacific Beach on Saturday, I’ll eat @ PB Bar & Grill for you & Sterling;-)
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I think I am finally honing in on the answer to this question. My short version of my “Unique Ability”/ mission statement/ definite major purpose is:
To achieve and help others through knowledge and creativity.
I realize that this is broad, but it is short enough for me to remember. First, everything I do is done with the thrust being an achiever to the core. I want to be the best I can in everything I do. Next, I am good with understanding and learning things on a high level, but I must be able to apply those things in a creative way. And, if I am not helping others in the process, what is the point?
For example, one of my sites helps people study for an engineering exam. This is an application of me enjoying studying for that exam (knowledge). The website is a creative outlet to express that knowledge.
The thing that is not in my mission statement is the “subject matter” of my mission or ability. So, I can work with any subject matter I find interesting, as long as it fits my ability.
Now that I have worked out my ability, I just need to clarify the “subject matter” a little better :)
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Jay (Jason Van Orden) Reply:
Andy,
I relate to where you are coming from.
Mine is broad kind of as well — helping others achieve increasing freedom. The subject matter that I have chosen (and may pursue the rest of my life) is to do that through teaching entrepreneurial skills.
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Mine seems to be spotting where people are going wrong on their marketing and helping them do better.
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Sterling (Jeremy Frandsen) Reply:
I sure hope that is the business you are in then! AND, I hope you enjoy it.
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Great post. My ability is to help and teach others to do better – to be better. Now I just need to find a way to make money with it. lol. (I’ve considered coaching and I’m writing a lot, so I guess you could say I’m doing SOMETHING). ;)
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my ability is rapping, i can think of lyrics at any time. example: this book will help you achieve what’s best, under that beating heart lies a essential test, look yourself in the mirror, you WILL see the best, forget beating the rest, work hard day n night to achieve what’s already there, the more you try, the more you care. so you continue with the test n you already done, mothers can now be proud of there sons. so sit back n chilax, even kick up your feet, remember these solid words:TEST COMPLETE. (kieran lawrence (me) )
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For years people have been saying how much they enjoy talking to me and that’s why I started my podcast, “Your Story” after doing Jays Professional Podcasting Course back in 2007.
If I have a Unique Ability that is it. To help others feel confident to speak about their life.
It’s about me allowing others to tell their own story and for others to discover how interesting they are.
That’s lead me, (along with a talent and enthiusium for teaching that I discovered as a skydiving instructor) to show others how to record their own or someone else’s Life Story using the ideas of communication that I understand and learnt with my podcast conversations and publication.
I get a huge satisfaction hearing how much people get from my content to help them save a Life Story for future generations.
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Jay (Jason Van Orden) Reply:
Love it!
Skydiving, eh? There’s something that definitely does not fall withing my Unique Ability ;)
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Not sure if I can buy into the idea of everyone having a “unique” ability, but we certainly all have abilities and interests that motivate us and that can be used to help others (which happens to be the primary way we make money).
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