Everyone is given one gift, a reason for being, and it's our

The writer and creator Melissa Rosenberg, whose craft has brought forth stories that have inspired millions, spoke words fierce and uncompromising: “Everyone is given one gift, a reason for being, and it's our obligation to do something with it. Obviously, it's a challenge — but if you're not taking the bull by the horns, I have no patience for you. You're just taking up space.” In this declaration, she lays down not only an exhortation but a command: that each soul born into this world carries a gift, a divine spark, and that to waste it is to betray both oneself and the world.

To say that everyone is given one gift is to proclaim the ancient truth that no life is without purpose. The poet may shape words, the healer may mend flesh, the teacher may inspire minds, the builder may raise stone upon stone. Each gift differs in form, but all are equal in worth, for each is part of the greater harmony of creation. To discover one’s reason for being is the noble journey of life; to use it faithfully is life’s sacred duty. Rosenberg’s words remind us that our gift is not merely for ourselves, but for the enrichment of others and for the shaping of a better world.

Yet she does not shy away from the difficulty. She names it clearly: “Obviously, it's a challenge.” For the path of fulfilling one’s gift is never easy. It demands sacrifice, endurance, and courage. It requires us to rise after failure, to persist when recognition does not come, and to labor even when the fruit of our labor is not yet visible. The challenge is not a curse but the very fire that tempers our gift into greatness. Without struggle, the gift remains hidden, dormant, wasted.

Rosenberg then speaks with almost prophetic sternness: “If you're not taking the bull by the horns, I have no patience for you.” Here she invokes the imagery of battle and courage. To take life’s bull by the horns is to face adversity directly, to grasp opportunity firmly, to refuse passivity. She warns against the danger of sloth, against those who drift through life ignoring the power within them. Her words are harsh, yet they carry the sharp edge of truth: a gift unused is not merely lost — it is squandered.

History gives us shining examples of this teaching. Consider the life of Florence Nightingale, who felt within her the gift of compassion and healing. Though society told her that a woman’s place was in quiet domesticity, she seized the bull by the horns and redefined nursing, transforming the care of the sick into a noble profession. She endured scorn, obstacles, and endless resistance, yet her refusal to waste her gift saved countless lives. In her story, Rosenberg’s words take flesh: the gift must be embraced, the challenge must be endured, and courage must guide the way.

The warning at the heart of Rosenberg’s quote is this: to ignore your gift is to become, in her words, “just taking up space.” A life that refuses to seek or use its reason for being risks becoming a burden rather than a blessing. This is not said to condemn, but to awaken — for every soul has a role to play, a song to sing, a light to shine. To shrink back is to deny not only oneself, but the generations who could be lifted by the fruit of your labor.

Therefore, O seekers of wisdom, hear this teaching: discover your gift, embrace your challenge, and seize life with courage. Do not waste your days waiting for the perfect moment, for the gift grows stronger only in use. Do not envy the gifts of others, for yours is unique, chosen for you alone. Above all, do not be passive, for the world hungers for what you carry. Rise, act, and give — so that when your days are done, it may be said of you that you did not merely take up space, but fulfilled your reason for being with all the strength of your soul.