Rocking Your Genius: Lessons from the Young Ones
I want to write today about the secret sauce to rocking your genius and shining in your brilliance with ease and grace. This will be a long one because it is a wisdom teaching wrapped up in a story, and hopefully some practices that allow you to discover and own your genius, and most importantly have fun doing it. And all of it was inspired by my son and a group of amazing kids (plus teachers, mentors, and staff of School of Rock-Aurora).
First, the true definition of genius, and it has nothing to do with having a high IQ. that is just the distorted way the word evolved or may I say devolved over time.
"The belief system of the ancient Romans included spirits that were somewhere in between gods and humans and were thought to accompany each person through life as a protector. The Latin name for this spirit was genius." And this genius also serves as our intuitive inspiration when we listen to it, whether we believe it is a spirit here to protect us or not.
"Sometimes, indeed, there is such a discrepancy between the genius and his human qualities that one has to ask oneself whether a little less talent might not have been better." ~Carl Jung
The backstory: My 15 year old son has been a guitarist for School of Rock for almost 8 years. He takes private lessons and performs in local venues with a band that is directed and coordinated by the instructors, owners, and staff. Last weekend we were headed to what was his 10th performance and I asked him if he was feeling nervous. Because let's face it even the most seasoned performers, speakers, lecturers speak of having butterflies in the stomach no matter how many times they get up on stage. But he said "no mom, I don't get nervous anymore, I just want to play, have fun, entertain the audience, and groove." And that is what it is all about.
I can't speak to whether any of the kids were nervous or not, but those kids aged 10-17 rocked the house, illuminated their brilliance, and had fun. They stepped into the uncomfortable and embodied the experience. Why? Because they are passionate about it, because they could not imagine not sharing their gifts with the world, AND whether they know it consciously or not...the instructors certainly do, that in order to refine our born-with gifts and genius we must not only practice but we must gain experience out in the world. And do you know what I noticed was missing?
The need to be perfect.
Our genius is with us from the moment we are born, and as we get older we forget what our genius is, we discount our gifts, (often because of outside influences), and we take on the story of having to be perfect before we can share of ourselves. Or that we have to gain more knowledge before we know enough. These kids felt none of that, they just honored what is natural, easeful, graceful, and of course joyful. And it helps and I am deeply grateful to the organization for not forcing perfection and on our kids before they can get onstage. Because most academics and many extra-curricular activities do. And as adults we spend a ridiculous amount of time and energy unravelling those stories...or NOT and don't even bother to try to re-discover and share our gifts. Instead we make life and career choices that are not aligned with our Divinely given gifts at all, and wonder why we struggle.
None of this is to say that we should just sit back and let our genius run amok with no direction, or refinement of them.Nor is it to say that we should not learn new things, Letting our genius out to play and aligning with it is a co-creative process. There is IMO a secret sauce to rocking your genius so that you lead a more easeful, graceful, and fun life, but it doesn't mean there is not work involved. Musing on what these kids do, is what inspired me to bring this into its essence. These kids take their gifts, but they also rehearsed with direction from wise and experienced teachers who share the same genius and who have walked the path before them 3 hours a week for nearly 6 months, that is the practice. They stepped on stage, that is the experience. And through both (plus a few more things) they brought their gifts and genius into form, and through the experience continue to refine those gifts. And they had fun while doing it, and so did those of us blessed enough to see, hear and be inspired by it.
So what is the secret sauce to living a graceful and abundance life? First there is one thing I say a LOT and I wish I remembered which wisdom teaching I got it from so I could credit it, it's an ancient one that I know. But it is this. Knowledge becomes wisdom through practice and lived experience. Meaning we could read all the books, take all the classes, but if we do not practice it, or bring it into our lived experience, then it just becomes more "stuff" and noise in our heads, that actually begins to suffocate our genius.
Divine Gifts + Wisdom Teachers/Mentors + Practice + Lived and Embodied Experience
=
Ease, Grace, Flow, Fun, Gratitude and Abundance
When you create visions from this place of alignment with your gifts, co-creating with the Universe and with support from those who have gone before you, and embodying the practices, and then sharing your experience not only do you bring your visions into form with ease and grace, but you also inspire others, receive abundance (which is not always just financial) and usually have a lot more fun. And as an added benefit you fall more deeply in love with who you are, and with life itself.
So you may be asking, because I get this question a lot. How do I know what my Divine Gifts are? Many of us don't realize our gifts are even gifts, we think everyone else has them too, but they don't, they have their own gifts. Or we were told our "gifts" were not valued in both obvious and very subtle ways. Here are few journal questions you can muse upon, and below there is a link to my gift to you. A 10 video series that includes deeper teachings on this subject, visualizations, and a creative practice. (Don't worry, this does not lead to my selling you something or a big sequence of emails...it is truly a gift)
What comes easily and naturally to you? Think outside of the box and not just on "work" related things. It may seem small or insignificant because it is so natural to you, but I assure you it is anything but that.
What came naturally and easily to you as a child that you may not do anymore.
What do people come to you for?
What do people thank you for?
What activities (work related, hobbies, relationships, desires) do you keep coming back to over and over even if you ignore them or don't give them time and attention for long periods of time.
What excites you?
What brings you the deepest, uninhibited joy?
What do you see in other people that motivate and inspire you? (Hint: you don't see something in someone else that does not exist somewhere within you) What are they doing that inspires you? Or how do they shine their brilliance that inspires you?
Sometimes we find out our gifts by also getting truthful (not judgmental or not to beat ourselves up over) about what is NOT a gift. What are some things that do not come naturally and easily to you...and that maybe you keep doing and wondering why you struggle? - This one could go a lot deeper, get a lot more curious, and an opening up to how you could perhaps bring your genius to something that is not so easy and transform it. Or choose a different outcome.
I would love to hear if you choose to journal with these or go deeper into the videos what realizations you have. What gifts are you willing to reclaim, and how do you intend to honor them and bring them more fully into your lived experience.
Love and Light,
Dina