You were born with a gift. You can think of it as a beautiful white pearl. This gift, this pearl, is meant to be shared with the world.

As a child, you were excited to share your gift with others. Then, as you got older, you accumulated disappointments, rejection, and hurts. Your pearl grew dark and encrusted with sediment.

With each passing year, a layer was added to your pearl. One day you noticed you were carrying a dark lump and wondered where it came from. You had forgotten there was a pearl buried deep inside.

Most people either get used to the lump or they just throw it away. But a few people remember that it began as a pearl. They know their life’s task is to keep breaking through the layers until the pearl is revealed once again. Then, and only then, can they share the beauty of their pearl, their precious gift, with the world.

Your task today, and every day, is to chisel away the layers of sediment covering your pearl. Some days you will feel energized and hopeful. On other days, you will feel cynical and discouraged.

No matter. Even on those days, you must work at keeping your pearl beautiful and restored. Don’t let it get encrusted. And by all means, don’t ever throw it away.

The world needs your gift.

Today’s Challenge: How would you describe the gift, the pearl, that you offer the world?