Bad salsa? Really?

Each of us has at least one gift.

What’s one of mine?  I have a knack for seeing the best in people & giving them the benefit of the doubt…

Someone swerves into our lane while Matt’s driving?

“Well, maybe his two year old just smashed his glasses, & he’s on the way to pick up his new ones.  He doesn’t know any other adults who can drive him there, & someone stole his bus pass....& bike.”

Matt always appreciates my explanations...at least the ones he manages to hear above his cussing.

And I’m good at creating recipes...Not FOOD recipes, but TEAM recipes...Identifying people’s strengths & recognizing who would most effectively serve on a particular team & how.

But creating FOOD recipes?  Nope.  I mean...I can follow a recipe someone ELSE creates. But food recipe creation is NOT a gift.

Each time I HAVE tried winging it, massive failure was the result.

This is why I follow recipes at Mongolian grill restaurants like Hu Hot.  

Create your own?  Nah.  Tried that...Multiple times.  And it was bad...I mean not even “not that good”, but bad.

A couple weeks ago I made salsa without a recipe.  I mean how hard could that be?  

I wanted to use some tomatoes from the garden, so I threw some of those in, some white onion, some garlic, a little chili powder…

I glanced at a couple recipes to get the gist, but I mean it was SALSA.  Winging it was bound to work.

Yet it didn’t. 

It was bad...I mean bad.  

Seriously?  How is it even POSSIBLE to make bad salsa?  

I’m still not sure how, but clearly, it is. 

I’m amazed by people who can throw in a little bit of this & a little bit of that.  I have friends who can’t follow a RECIPE because winging it is far EASIER for them.

I simply can't get my head around it.

And what’s especially remarkable?  They usually don’t even consider it a talent.

They assume everyone does that.  That it’s something everyone can do, right?

I am proof that it's not.

So, my point?  

Pay attention to the gifts other people tell you you have.  Don’t dismiss them, assuming others have the same ones.  They often don’t.

Lucky for me, I’m reminded of my “immediately give people the benefit of the doubt” gift each time Matt gives me a particular look while cussing at poor (yet good intentioned) drivers.  

Also, recognize & take advantage of the gifts others have that you DON’T.  

What’s the benefit of spending 27 painful hours attempting to install your bathroom sink.., something you have zero desire to do...if your best friend is a builder?  Would enjoy installing it in 15 minutes & would install it WELL?

None of us is talented in every way.  

I don’t know a single person who can effortlessly make recipe-free, kick-ass salsa, immediately conjure up explanations for another’s poor driving, perform brain surgery, knit a blanket, write a song, diagnose bi-polar disorder, design a bridge, recite poetry, build a house, manage an investment portfolio, raise livestock, teach 1st grade, sell cars, weave a basket, & dance like Beyonce.

Do you?

So don’t expect yourself to either.

And recognize & OWN the gifts you do have.