The question today is, what’s your Niche?

You and I may not have the veracity (power of conveying or perceiving truth) or the tenacity of Thomas Edison, but I believe we all have a niche within us.

Have you ever thought about how you gain mastery of your Niche, or are you satisfied with the gifts you possess?

I think about great sports announcers and their golden voices as they use their Niche within them regarding how well they speak.

Many know people with a specific knack for doing various things very well.

I think of myself as work in process through the help of God.

How often have others told me you can’t do that?

Therefore, what is that specific Niche or gift that you have that you are willing to share with others?

You and I can’t or should not dismiss what we are called to do.  For me, it’s my calling.

The words Autotelic Personality are something you should think about.

What Is an Autotelic and How to Recognize If This Is You – Learning Mind (learning-mind.com)

I learned this from reading Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Robert Csikszentmihalyi, which also describes Autotelic Personality.

We must try to understand our purpose in life and what God has created us to do.

I often think about the scriptures of Psalm 23 when people tell me what I can and cannot do.

The Beautiful Meaning Of Psalm 23 (verse by verse explanation) (rethinknow.org)

I have a niche in saying the rosary every Saturday evening before the 5 PM Mass.

Although saying the rosary brings a feeling of happiness for something I have been doing for years, reciting the rosary out loud for others to participate in strengthens my faith.

It’s a niche that I’m honored to have the support of both the Parish and the Priest.

I also have a niche that allows me to cook a meal quickly because I have replicated or envisioned the process of how long I think it should take to prepare it before I start.

Cooking is one of those niches I learned very early in life, growing up in a home with many siblings and having to feed myself and my younger siblings.

Today, we hear the analogy that “your riches are in your niches.”

The Riches Are In The Niches: Uncovering Your Path To Unique Success (richniches.com)

As many colleges or universities release students this year, I wonder what they are experiencing as they prepare to exit as successful college graduates.

What are the goals that feel right for them? Many will bring a specific niche into an organization or even start a business.

I’ve learned that being curious about where we focus our attention to develop our niches can benefit us.

Looking back on my specific niches, I realize those positive experiences that were not tied to money bring me the most happiness.

Something autotelic in Greek means “Self” and “Goal.” It is so enjoyable that I want to repeat it.

Knowing that we all have strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, channeling our energy is also essential.

Whether I’m cooking or saying the rosary, I’m not forced to do it because it brings me happiness and enjoyment.

Nothing is more irritating than watching someone who doesn’t want to do any task without the proper love of doing it.

I’ve witnessed how a dinner is often ruined because people were forced to cook out of necessity and did not put their heart into it.

Those two words of happiness and enjoyment helped me identify my primary Niche.

What are your two words?

Today it’s not about me or you, becoming an expert in something we both do well.

It’s about how we develop expertise, uncover the needs of others, and add value based on our potential to do more.

During my time in the military, it was word of mouth how others were chosen for their specific Niche because they could get the job done.

Who has your name on their tongues for something you do well that is linked to your Niche?

Last Saturday after Mass, I was approached by a gentleman who thanked me for leading the rosary as I was leaving.  I had not seen him before, or I didn’t recognize his face as he appealed to my Niche. At that moment, I gained something that accelerated my word-of-mouth influence.

Today, even if you don’t read the Bible, I challenge you to think about Psalm 23 and your Niche.

David is a great Advocate because of his tenacity to follow God as he dealt with Goliath.

Therefore, I know the answer: Who shall I fear when called to do something when others say I can’t?