Exploring Your Genius
“There is no such thing as a self-made man. We are made up of thousands of others. Everyone who has ever done a kind deed for us, or spoken one word of encouragement to us, has entered into the makeup of our character and our thoughts, as well as our success." -George Matthew Adams
You are a genius. Amazing, isn't it? You may be wondering how I know this. It's because everyone is a genius at something. Honestly. You have a unique set of skills, talents, abilities along with a unique perspective. Developed correctly, you are very well-qualified to be a genius...at something. There's the rub. How do you determine what that "something" is?
Our minds are so crowded and receive so much information daily that it's difficult to sort your areas of genius from the rest of the stuff coming in. You are constantly deluged by information; the television, the radio, email, other people, organizations you belong to, newspapers, magazines, books, the internet and so forth. That's a lot of information – and a lot of distraction. Add to this the notion that psychologists have discovered that we can only process about forty pieces of information per second (we receive over 11 million pieces per second) and you can begin to see your dilemma. So the first success tip this month: To begin discovering your inner genius, take some time to yourself. Go for a walk or bike ride. Meditate. Sit quietly. Relax your mind and give yourself time to contemplate what you truly enjoy.
You can also find your area of genius by studying what you've enjoyed doing most in your life up until this point. I believe that you are subconsciously drawn towards that for which you are best suited. However, it can sometimes be difficult to find the pattern amidst all the complexities and noise of everyday life. If you want to begin to find the hidden thread of your deepest interests, you have to look closely at what has interested you before and what interests you now. I created an exercise for use in two of my trainings: "Do You Want More?" and "Your Five Creative Gifts." You can use this exercise to help you search for those hidden threads by downloading, printing and completing it by clicking here. As success tip number two suggests, using signposts from your past can help you to pinpoint your area of genius.
Another way to begin to discover your area of genius is to learn more about the things that interest you. Since learning usually takes more time than the above exercise, I recommend starting with it to begin moving in the right direction. Chances are you've already spent some time learning about this area because you are naturally interested in it. I was recently reading about Phillippe Kahn, the man who invented the camera phone when I came across something interesting he said. "It's annoying to people that I will buy every college physics and mathematics book and read through them [to] be up to date." You may wonder, "Why does he do this?" He does it simply because the area interests him (and this has made him quite successful). Success tip number three for discovering and expanding your area of genius: find ways to learn more about things which interest you. From there you may begin to make new connections and get new idea.
So what is the best method for learning more about your area of genius? There are all kinds of opportunities for advanced learning. You may want to take a page from Phillippe's book and begin reading books on the topic. Brian Tracy says that if you read one hour a day, you will have likely read over 50 books within a year. Remember to screen what you read so that it is the most current and accurate information when you begin looking for information. While tools like the internet provide a wealth of apparently current knowledge, reading with a critical eye is crucial. The 'net contains a large amount misinformation. Some good sources of information are magazines written in your field of interest. Researchandmarkets.com reports that there are over 10,000 magazines published in the US. Chances are there is a magazine that concerns you area of genius. There you will find the most up-to-date information on the topic and the names of the people who are working in that area. Many industry-oriented publications even have free subscriptions. I recommend checking with your local reference librarian to discover what magazines exist and how you can get them. This is the fourth success tip for expanding your knowledge: read about what interests you. Amazingly, when you begin to read in an area that interests you, you'll find the reading easy and fast.
Perhaps you feel like you won't have enough time to read. The information society has provided tools for you! One of my favorite ways to expand my knowledge is through audio books. Your car can become a moving classroom allowing you to listen to programs on your area of genius. It will also focus your attention more acutely by reducing the time you spend listening to extraneous messages from news, talk, ads and music that you normally hear on your radio. One study suggests that the average person spends an hour and a half in their car each working day. Most unabridged audio programs are four to six hours long. That means you could be listening to over 50 programs a year! Success tip number five: listen to audio programs to help you focus your genius.
Sean Neville, the president and co-founder of Simply Audio Books, passed a securities course with the assistance of audio books. When he realized how useful audio programs can be, he decided to start his "Netflix-like" rental company for such programs. He said, "...I was sitting on the highway, not going anywhere, thinking that we could all be listening to audio books right now." Figuring that others could be doing the same thing, he started his company.
I've saved the best way to learn about your area of genius for last: Do! Get involved in working in the area that interests you. By doing, you feel the rush of excitement that occurs when you're in your element and the thrill that occurs when you're involved in something you enjoy. You can do this by participating in interactive trainings such as college classes, seminars and adult education classes. You can find a mentor to help you – an expert in the field of your potential genius who is willing to work with you. You can even just strike out on your own and try activities in that area on your own. (I should note that this is usually the most difficult way for people to learn, however.) Success tip number six: if possible, participate in activities where you believe your genius lies. That way you will know when you are moving in the right direction.
Have a great month!
