This week, Lysette Offley in Focus on WHY episode 284 The Genius Maker said that ‘we’re all geniuses’ and I have been reflecting on this ever since.
Are we all geniuses?
What is a genius? Typically someone who is exceptionally intelligent or has an exceptional gift or creative power in a particular area of activity. If I ask you to name a genius, who springs to your mind? Einstein, Shakespeare, Mozart, Picasso or Beethoven? Very likely at least one of these names came up as they are all people you would depict as a genius.
How about Duckworth? She is a genius despite being told by her father when she was a young girl that she was not! Duckworth knew plenty of people smarter than her. In her third grade, she didn’t test high enough to score for the gifted and talented programme.
Yet that same girl who was told she was not a genius ended up winning an award for being one! Author of Grit*, Dr Angela Duckworth was awarded the MacArthur Fellowship, often dubbed the ‘Genius Grant’, by a secret committee made up of the top people in the field of psychology because she discovered that what we eventually accomplish may depend more on our passion and perseverance than our innate talent. Genius!
What does it actually take to be a genius? Are there familiar traits that characterise a genius? Do you have what it takes to be called a genius?
If you have a deep curiosity for the world, a strong courage of conviction, the ability to challenge your thinking, a desire to push through boundaries to take risks and an ability to apply deep focus, then yes, you absolutely can be a genius.
Manmeet Kaur Chowdhry, Tony J. Selimi, Pete Lonton, Helen Pollock, Mel Sherwood, Catherine Watkin, Mel Loizou, Kate Trafford, Rob Moore, Peter Freeth, Marcus Cauchi and Julie Creffield as guests on Focus on WHY have all spoken of what they believe it takes to be a genius.
Helen Pollock in episode 131 specifically spoke of the loss of potential and the crime of consequences of not sharing your genius and knowledge as an author. Tony J Selimi in episode 151 spoke of unshakable genius and how to awaken it within us. Manmeet Kaur Chowdhry said in episode 081 A Life By Design that ‘we all have a genius within us and our genius is displayed in our highest priorities. No matter what we do we’re inspired from within. We never actually need extrinsic motivation to get us to do that’.
Gay Hendricks in his book The Big Leap*, identifies four different zones that you function in. The zone of incompetence, the zone of competence, the zone of excellence and the zone of genius. As with purpose and your thumbprint, your zone of genius is completely unique to you.
Where you blend your passion with your natural gifted talents and skills and where you are most in flow doing what comes effortlessly to you, this is your zone of genius.
Imagine combining your zone of genius with your purpose and you took consistent focused action, it would make you an unstoppable force to be reckoned with.
Remember you can achieve whatever you desire if you set your heart and mind on it and apply yourself. You can be the genius you choose to be.
Listen to your inner genius. Step into your zone of genius.
Whatever you do, focus on genius!
Amy
ACTION POINT - What do you have an innate talent for? Are you maximising its potential?
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P.S. If you are looking for some more Friday Focus inspiration go check out some of my past blogs click here!