Genius Waiting to Happen
Reprinted from Personal Development Magazine, Premiere edition 2007
How do you define genius? Do you know anyone who believes they are a genius? Would you consider yourself a genius? Wikipedia, the electronic encyclopedia, cites genius as "a person of great intelligence, who shows an exceptional natural capacity of intellect, especially as shown in creative and original work." Western culture has often defined genius as having an Intelligence Quotient (IQ) of at least 140. The IQ test scores questions based on accuracy and speed of answer. A question type might be: "Eight chickens, three dogs, and four cats have a total of forty-eight legs (True or False)." Quickly now!
Who are your examples of genii – Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci, Madame Curie, or Nelson Mandela? When Albert Einstein wanted to attend the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology rather than complete his high school degree, he had to take an entrance exam. He failed the test. That same year at age 16, he performed his first "thought experiment" visualizing traveling along a beam of light. Leonardo da Vinci was the illegitimate son of Florentine notary and a "peasant". Madame Curie, born in 1867, was the first twice-honored Nobel laureate and still today the only laureate to win in two separate sciences. Nelson Mandela was left to rot in prison 27 years for political crimes against the government before becoming the first Black, democratically elected President of South Africa. All of them, geniuses in spite of the odds of birth and fortune!
What has our culture taught us about the gift and command of genius? Recent books such as The Bell Curve by Richard J. Herrnstein and Charles Murray and The Mismeasure of Man by Stephen Jay Gould, counter-argue the points of "nature" versus "nurture" when considering factors such as heredity, race, gender and other biological and/or sociological determinants of intelligence. From Darwinism to Creationism, this topic continues to be highly controversial and affects every aspect of our culture from medical advancements, to educational models, to insurance rates!
But the point of this article is - how do you define genius? Are you a genius in the closet? Have you given your genius over to the "spin doctors" of intelligence? I attest that we are ALL geniuses waiting to happen! Yes, you are a genius! You may want to respond, "Then where is it!?" It is waiting for you to awaken to your potential. I have a saying, "The Universe is an Equal Opportunity Employer giving us all the exact same vocation – to create our lives!" Self-insight and self-knowledge are your greatest allies in the ascent to your full human potential.
Each individual is imbued with their own uniquely endowed gifts. Why were you born? - To create your life and discover your co-creative power to actualize it. We are all but the breathe of creative energy born to join the creative family. Behaviorist Abraham Maslow cited, "What humans can be – they must be." He also recognized, "A society or any institution in it can be characterized as fostering or hindering the self-actualization of its individuals." We live in a culture where genius has been assigned to some individuals and categorically denied in others based on cultural constructs of privilege, power and access. However truth, when sought and accepted, sets us free. It is the privilege of every human being to realize their unique value in the puzzle of life – to realize their genius. Too many have been denied access and/or believe the lie of mediocrity, but this does not include you!
How do you tap into your genius? First, acknowledge that genius is the birth right of every human irrespective of man-made barriers. Secondly, believe you are a part of that divine right and thirdly, understand that genius is a matter of connecting with your passion, your gift and taking it to its highest form of expression. Yes, your genius is as close as your greatest joy and the action you put behind it! Napoleon Hill, the great wealth builder, defined genius as the deliberate and purposeful use of the faculty of creative imagination. He describes this faculty as "the direct link between the finite mind of man and Infinite Intelligence." In other words, when you link your creative consciousness with the all-seeing and all-knowing consciousness of the universe, you are able to take your creative intelligence to its highest level of fulfillment. You evolve into your genius. Your contribution to the planet - yours and yours alone!
Understand, we are all materializing our lives through our thoughts and words which become our actions. Some of us are manifesting our lives through deliberate thought/words and purposeful action – what the Human Communication Institute practitioners teach as the Law of Deliberate Action™. This "law" is the essence of the Human Communication Co-Creation Theory ? Conscious thought + deep emotion + subconscious energy (creative intelligence) = creation = life! Life gives you what you truly believe, according to your faith! Remember, you are creating whether intentionally or unintentionally. The creative universe answers your deep-seated beliefs exactly as you believe – it does not judge between your positive and negative thoughts. "You reap what you sow." Your genius is actualized by the belief that you are a child of creative intelligence! Ponder this question, "Can you separate your thoughts from your deliberate actions?" No, you can not, no human can. So the question becomes, which comes first - the thought or the action? Genius starts in the mind where the seeds of creative power are planted, watered and bloom. What's in your garden? What are you growing?
Again, the dilemma lies in the sleeping masses of humans who have allowed others to define who they are. If you do not know who you are and whose you are, there are thousands lined up to tell you who you are not! The genius of Nelson Mandela is quoted as saying:
"We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? Your playing small does not serve the world. We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. As we are liberated from our own fear; our presence automatically liberates others."
Set yourself free to manifest the genius you were born to share with the world. It is the only true path to both success and happiness. It is the only path to universal love. American author Frederick Buechner expresses this clearly, "To find your mission in life is to discover the intersection between your heart's deep gladness and the world's deep hunger." This is what the planet needs from you. This is what we are all waiting for – your genius to happen – make it so!
PS Perkins
Founder & CEO
Human Communication Institute, LLC
www.hci-global.com
