(Akiit.com) Proverbs 18:31 “Death & Life are in the power of the tongue”
Translation words that are spoken, written and received are powerful . As a coach no one understands the impact of words more than I. I have personally witnessed the impact words (positive & negative) can have, particularly on young people. All across the world coaches are either lifting up or tearing down someones dream, this is a great responsibility that should not be taken lightly. It should be noted that coaches are not just athletic personnel, they can be parents, teachers, supervisors, mentors, and older siblings. Over the next couple of weeks I will be sharing from a series I’ve put together over the years titled “A Coaches Words” this is a collection of motivational affirmations that I’ve come up with based on my own personal experiences, sermons, casual conversations and literature. I often share these with athletes, youth groups, ministries and others when invited to speak at events. Let me start off by saying that TPC doesn’t stand for Tony Price is Cool or TP’s Chill as the youngsters say.
Talent– These are the gifts you were born with (you did nothing special to obtain them) you came pre-wired with them interwoven into your fabric. Your talent often lies within things that come naturally to you, things that others admire or have to practice for hours to become competent. i.e singing, organization and athletic ability. Your talents are often discovered when you engage in activities you have a passion for.
Purpose– This is the reason why you have the talent(s), they were meant for you to fulfill a plan and to share with the world. For instance let’s take the talent of singing, there are lots of people who call themselves singers(some really can carry a tune, while others?). Once people discover they have the gift of singing, they must then decide what type of music they are led to sing (R & B, Soul, Country, Classical, Opera). It is here that they must ponder the impact they’d like for their musical gifts to have on those who hear, gospel singers realize their voices are instruments designed to create an atmosphere of praise and worship.
Calling– This is the place or physical location where you exercise and display your gifts for the reasons you have discovered. Your calling could be your place of employment, neighborhood, church, city, on a team, etc Someone who is gifted in teaching, realizes their purpose is to educate, enlighten and empower others in their specific area of expertise, the place where they display their talent for its purpose could be a classroom, board room, football field or a recreation center.
I conclude by explaining that the first 2 letters (T & P) will never change, you will take them with you when you pass away, but the “C” calling is the area that requires the most flexibility, often times the place where you currently are may be temporary or not the location where you can be most effective. As you develop your talents and mature into the understanding of your purpose, you will experience a series of callings (places) Keep an open mind!
Written By Tony Price