Each of us has our own unique genius. That special skill or ability that we perform with such ease and quality that it hardly seems to qualify as work. Some, the lucky few, discover their genius early on in, the gifted athlete, the talented artist, the skillful storyteller, or the musical genius. Others don’t discover their genius until much later. It takes some self-discovery, some poking around in your mind, observing your work, your results, listening to what others say about you, taking note, paying attention.
You may be a great listener, a talented negotiator, a natural-born seller, a creative concept person or an eloquent communicator. Your genius may lie in your fascination with numbers, an affinity for technology, an instinctive ability to organize or your unbounded patience for details. Our innate genius most often lies in those skills that come easily, the areas where we excel or the work that excites us.
Be aware though, that genius doesn’t always come without work. Even the most gifted in their fields work at sharpening and honing their particular genius. In fact, they may work harder at what they do than the rest of us. That’s partly because they love what they do, but also because they are driven by a need to excel, to get better, to pursue. And that desire makes their genius all the more valuable.
What if you don’t know what your genius is?
Listen to what others say. We can’t always see our greatness, though it’s blatantly evident to those around us. What things do you do easily while others say, “I wish I could do that like you do.” What do others often ask you to do for them? Has anyone ever said to you, “Gee, you should do that for a living…?” You probably said, “Naaa, I can’t make money from that.” Well, maybe you should take another look.
Look for the A. Think about times when you’ve excelled at something, without much effort at all. The successful project that seemed to take shape on its own, the award that you still can’t believe you won, the fabulous innovation that nobody else thought of, or the technology that you mastered while others struggled to comprehend, all are good places to start.
What lights you up? What do you look forward to doing? What tasks do you really enjoy ? What have you always secretly wanted to do? It doesn’t have to seem productive or useful, just energizing. If it’s fun, time flies or it comes easily, it’s definitely worth exploring. And if you love sharing it with others, it’s a slam-dunk genius candidate.
Whatever your genius is, don’t discount it. It’s important and valuable even if you can’t figure out what to do with it yet. Many sparks of genius go unnoticed, some remain unappreciated, and still others are cast off as inconsequential. That’s a mistake. You may be throwing away your golden ticket to a better life.
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Royale Scuderi is a life fulfillment expert, consultant and freelance writer who specializes in personal and professional growth, life satisfaction, and success. She is a curator of ideas and strategies that support a productive and purposeful life.
-what are some ideas that came to mind as you read the ideas above? What areas of “genius” did you uncover? Explore those further — don’t simply discount what came to mind. Give it some serious thought — and look for ways to get to put to into play in your life the ideas that came to mind. Share your thoughts and feedback on the ideas above in the comments below.