My daughter Elisabeth has been in a spiritual retreat for several years. In her last e-mail message she said she didn't know I went to art school years ago. This was my reply:

When we look at people we tend to see only one, two or at most three contributions they may have to offer the world. My exploration of humans over the past 40 years has opened me to well over a dozen, maybe dozens, some patently obvious or of varying degrees of latent talents or inborn gifts to contribute to the world. For you, Dan (my son) and me it's writing, for you, Dan and me it's art, for you and me it's singing and acting, for you and Dan it's poetry. I also noticed that you as a teen were a natural dancer, as was my mom and me. You may have forgotten that I've started over a dozen businesses including a radio show and a newspaper, expressing talents for marketing, organization and expression. I am a natural coach and have essentially been doing that for at least as long as you've been around (28 years), though Dan can't see how that could be...he doesn't perceive that talent in me, because he doesn't perceive my life working now. With the theater I'm working to buy and develop, I'll get to develop my talent for producing shows, and hosting events, and sharing my love for films and producing seminars and conferences and conventions. I produced a weekend of ten speaker in February, 1990.
You're inquiry is only beginning to explore the dozens of gifts I am and will be developing.
I wrote a book, as you know and I've sold many copies over the past decade, just exposing it one at a time to thousands of individuals. These have all come from many interests, passions and inborn gifts. Most of us barely discover them because we're not encouraged to dig deeply.