The end of the first chapter of Take Charge of Your Talent by Don Maruska and Jay Perry includes this “Talent Takeaway”:

“Your talent is a story you can transform. When you position yourself as the hero of your story and follow a clear set of actions to act out that role, your career and life can change and move forward quickly.”

One of the reasons I am so thrilled to support these authors is that the content of this book resonates with me deeply — I can see myself on every page. The stories, examples, and struggles to find and develop talent, described in this book, are universal and relatable. The advice the authors offer is straight-forward and clear. I’m going to pretend for a minute that you’ve never heard my story.

My Talent — A Story I Transformed

Fewer than 5-years ago, my days consisted of caring for my three young daughters and educating them at home — activities I chose and loved. And yet, a small part of me wondered if I could also find a way to return to my love of writing. I doubted that I could ever turn writing into a career, yet I spent a few hours writing again and submitted some articles here and there.

Occasionally, my husband would ask me what career I’d like to pursue when the girls were older. When he did, I felt terrified. His job requires 10+ hours away from home each day. His schedule is often unpredictable. Considering all it takes to keep our family together, I had no idea how I would ever pursue a career.

And yet — I started to move in the direction of my dreams. I answered a Facebook posting from a friend. It turned to steady work, which led to big opportunities to learn and grow, in skills and confidence. I left that work, starting a new adventure. It opened up possibilities for more learning and growth.

Then one day, I left the security of that wonderful position to start this business. Before I knew it, I had become the hero of my own talent story. My life and career moved forward and changed quickly.

Within the span of time it takes to earn a college degree, I moved from stay-at-home mom to entrepreneur. From there to here. Honestly, it is almost incomprehensible to me.

Maruska and Perry write:

“No matter who you are or what your situation is, it all comes down to one point: you always have a choice. You get to decide how you are going to play out your talent story and your role in it.”

If you don’t like your story, I encourage you to buy and read Take Charge of Your Talent to fuel your journey.

Tell me something: How are you becoming the hero of your talent story? What choices can you make today to move toward your desired future?

PS: This post contains a lot of links. If you piece them together, you’ll see more of my story. The most important click you’ll make is to click through to Don and Jay’s book on Amazon (yes, this is a shameless sales pitch!)

Becky Robinson

I am the founder/CEO of the Weaving Influence team, the author of Reach: Creating the Biggest Possible Audience for Your Message, Book, or Cause, and the host of the Book Marketing Action Podcast. I’m a wife and mom of three kids, and I enjoy running, reading, writing, coffee, and dark chocolate.