Have you ever been in a partnership situation in which your partner seemingly brought much more to the table than you did? In our consumer oriented society, we have been acclimated to being served more than serving.  It’s seems like everywhere we go there is an expectation of getting a lot more than we are really paying for.  I am currently being invited into a partnership which offers a tremendous amount of resources and I have felt challenged to really identify just what I bring to the table. Ironically, I was not focused on “what was in it for me” or “what can I get out of it” but, what resource I could be in this partnership.  Maybe it’s because I getting more mature (not older), that I recognize how important it is for me to be a resource to my society.  Someone who reads this may be asking these same questions of themselves: what can I do well? What real abilities do I have? What have I produced over the course of my life that can be a resource for someone else?

Dr. Myles Monroe in his teaching on purpose said “don’t seek success, but seek to be of value” because it is when we are of value that people will exchange their resources for what you have.  He goes on to ask the question: When others think of you, what comes to mind? For example: when we think about Bill Gates, we thinks about Microsoft(a multibillion dollar corporation); when we think of Michael Jordan we think of Basketball, John Maxwell-Leadership, T.D Jakes-preaching, Mahatmas Gandhi- peaceful civil action, Martin Luther King Jr. we think about “the Civil Rights Movement”. What is that people think about when they think of you?

This caused an intense investigation into what I have to offer my world. I believe I have discovered some things today that I can do and do well.  To determine my resources I first sought God about what he really gifted me to do. Then I meditated on what I have done with great success in the past and where my energy flowed most. I also consulted some trusted friends, who I knew loved me and would tell me the truth. By following that process I feel I have gained some insight into areas that I have genuine expertise and gifting. I feel much more confident that I really have something to bring to the table in any networking situation.