I’ve been listening to a fascinating book on Audible (have I mentioned how much I like Audible lately?) Antifragile: Things that Gain from Disorder by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. It is hitting on something I’ve been concerned about ever since I decided to share my Genius Paradigm ideas.
When I first started talking about the Genius Paradigm, I didn’t want to sound like Mr. Rogers just telling everyone that they are “special.” Not that they aren’t special – I love Fred Rogers! But he was called out as one of the reasons for the entitlement problem that we have today, and I don’t want anyone to think I support entitlement. I feel the people who blamed Mr. Rogers didn’t get what he was saying. He didn’t mean that you didn’t have to work for things or that everyone should get a trophy.
When I say that everyone is a genius, I mean it. Everyone has genius inside of them meant to be shared with the world. It will make it a better place for all of us. But we have to realize that genius; otherwise, it lays dormant and wastes away.
“Realizing” is more than just seeing it. To make it real, you have to work for it, and after you find it yourself, you need to make it real for everyone else by sharing it.
Having a genius paradigm is being able to see the genius in others even when they can’t see it in themselves.
Sometimes it’s hard. You see so much potential, and the person is throwing it away.
Other times, you can inspire people to take steps to do the hard work and get things done, so they realize their genius in ways you just glimpsed.
Realizing your own genius means you are taking charge of your story. You are deciding what you do when and what kind of a protagonist you will be. You are always in control of your story, but if you realize your genius, you are purposefully deciding what direction your story will go. When problems come up, you handle them; you don’t give up.
Many years ago, our homeschool group had Briana Walker talk at our annual youth conference. She shared how she became a quadriplegic after passing out while driving. She had been a dancer and had all kinds of plans for her future. Her accident could have destroyed everything. Instead, she figured out how to continue. She became a wheelchair model and dancer and is a public speaker encouraging people to follow their dreams. She has a book out entitled “Dance Anyway,” and you can find more information about her at her website (BrianaWalker.com).
There are so many examples of people like Briana who didn’t let adversity stand in the way of the story they wanted to live. Instead, the adversity made their story stronger and more compelling. They are antifragile. They did whatever they needed to do to realize their genius.
Thankfully most of the time, we don’t need to go through a devastating accident to realize our genius. Many people are afraid of the hard work and risks inherent in the journey to genius so they don’t try. They don’t make the mistakes they can learn from or resolve to get up when they do. They see the world as a negative place with limited resources and don’t see what they can do to make it better. They are missing out, and everyone else is too.
Be more like Briana – learn and grow from the challenges that come your way. See the good in the world and use the available resources to do what you can to make the world a better place. Be antifragile and realize your genius!