What is Genius?

by Dr. Tony Alessandra

Paul MacCready is a writer and inventor who has carefully studied genius and the ways people understand that concept. MacCready has evolved several categories of what genius seems to mean, and these can be useful starting point for defining what genius really is.

In the first category is what Paul MacCready calls the “everyone agrees” geniuses. These people are the great icons of civilization, including Einstein, Leonardo daVinci, Shakespeare, and Michelangelo.

Is there anybody who believes Einstein wasn’t a genius? I don’t think so — so this category is for the geniuses who are elected by unanimous consent. These are many of the same people who were mentioned in my own informal research. We’ll have much more to say about them in this session and throughout the program. In fact, most of our models for the various genius categories will be drawn from this group.

MacReady’s second category is the officially designated geniuses. These are the people who have won Nobel Prizes or other highly respected awards. Whether or not we understand what they’ve accomplished, we think of them as geniuses based on their recognition by people who are supposed to know one when they see one.

A third category includes people who haven’t yet gained national or international prominence, but who have done something so remarkable that they seem to be in a different realm from ordinary mortals. Some of these are the prodigy young people I mentioned earlier in this session — students who have won national science contests or gotten perfect scores on standardized tests.

Often they’re not the best in the day to day conduct of school or business, but they have some special gift that eventually reveals itself. Quite often, these people are underachievers who struggle with Shyness and low self-esteem. Their surprising success is surprising only because they’ve deliberately tried to stay in the background.

I think you can see how each of these three categories seems quite Legitimate — but it’s the fourth one that’s really most important for this program. And you may be surprised to learn that the fourth category questions or even completely refutes the other three. Because the fourth category includes everybody.

It’s based on the idea that we all have the potential for achievements that are wrongly considered possible for only a few. And there’s plenty of evidence for this. After all, the physical and mental challenges of learning to walk and talk are more difficult than anything we face later in life — yet the vast majority of human beings meet these challenges successfully. True, it’s been argued that these primary skills are hardwired into our genetic makeup. But there are many things that the genetic argument can’t account for.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, for example, it was simply expected that every member of the educated class would be able to read and speak several different languages, write poetry, play a musical instrument, and know much of the Bible by heart. Furthermore, all these skills were performed at a very high level and at very early ages. In other words, thousands of people routinely displayed abilities that today would be considered truly amazing — and perhaps even evidence of genius.

But in those days what we call genius was just the fulfillment of society’s expectations. When we speak of everybody being a genius in this sense, it doesn’t mean everyone has to get 800s on their SATs or have an IQ of 150 or above. It doesn’t mean everybody can play the violin or create beautiful oil paintings. Those are other ways of looking at the concept of genius. But right now, let’s go back to the origin of the word itself.

A researcher by the name of Thomas Armstrong has done some excellent work on this. He points out that the word genius is closely related to the word genesis. It comes from Greek and Latin words meaning “beget,” “be born,” or ” come into being.” It’s also related to the word genial, meaning “festive” or “jovial.”

In the Middle East, the term has been linked to the word jinni, or genie, the magical power that lay dormant and hidden in Aladdin’s lamp until a secret method released it. Combining all these roots leads to a very powerful and beautiful definition of genius. It means “giving birth to your joy.” In this sense, genius is a word for an individual’s hidden potential. It also includes the process of discovering that potential and transforming it into action.

But the first step is belief. The first step is certainty that you have greater capabilities than you thought. Not only do you have those capabilities — you also have a responsibility to develop them and put them to use.

Dr. Tony Alessandra has authored 13 books, recorded over 50 audio and video programs, and delivered over 2,000 keynote speeches since 1976. The ideas in this article, and many others, are adapted from Dr. Alessandra’s book, The Sales Professional’s Idea-A-Day Guide (Dartnell). If you would like more information about Dr. Alessandra’s books, audio tapesets and video programs, or about Dr. Alessandra as a keynote speaker for your group, call (800) 222-4383 or visit his website at http://www.alessandra.com.

Quick Tips for Attracting Wealth and Success

Success: Choose ease not hardship

Your success and prosperity is going to be affected by what you are in the presence of. Where your body goes your mind goes. Where your emotions go, your life goes. I know in my own life that I was always working towards this day when everything would come together but did not take time out to ENJOY moments. As my life was full of ‘work, stress, looking at what I didn’t want, looking at what I couldn’t afford’… I was just attracting more of it. Experience has shown me that the more I love myself and seek enjoyable experiences, the more easily solutions find their way to me.

Success: You become the company you keep

Take an inventory of the people you generally hang around. Consider yourself a reflection of their attitudes, finances, ability to enjoy life. Are they people who don’t feel in control, always gossiping, talking about limitation and thinking small or encouraging you to be prosperous and think big? Look around at those people you spend time with and ask yourself whether they reflect the qualities you are looking for in yourself and your life. If you are a business owner this is even more prevalent. Keep in mind that you are in control and your are master of your own destiny so don’t lie to yourself and keep negative situations around you. Take conscious control of your relationships.

Although I don’t open every email from those successful people whose newsletters I subscribe to, I keep them in my outlook box with a conscious attention that I like having their prosperity consciousness within my computer. If I opened them all I would have no day left and would get distracted by I like them hanging out with me!

What you are afraid to do holds the key to your treasure

No matter how old you are, you are aware of day dreams you have or urges that have you thinking about things you are passionate about.

Take my example. I was day dreaming about ways I could help people with my own brand of genius and I used to day dream about teaching people but the fear of public speaking paralysed me. I stayed in a job as a secretary years and years after I already knew in my heart I could do something much more rewarding.

Successful people follow their heart rather than following survival. What you are scared to do is your unique insight into where your growth lies. I am not saying that for me it came overnight in fact I spent years on healing and hypnosis to get over my fear but the place to start is acknowledging what fear is holding you back and at least be real with yourself in affirming that you will do what your day dreams are prompting. If you conclude that you don’t know what you truly want, start by looking at what you don’t want to do and then observe what situation comes up that identifies a fear because that is the obstacle capping your success and real joy.

If you don’t take the decision, you cannot bring along the right circumstances and the right time when you will master your fears. You also need to let go of your agenda of how and when this will happen, simply make sure you be honest with yourself otherwise you will never discover your true self (way to your divine prosperity)

Your life in your home/office mirrors the life within you

All your personal spaces (i.e. spaces YOU have control over such as your home, office, holiday home) are more significant than you know. The inside of your personal spaces are an exact and precise mirror of your psyche and how you describe the space, use the space, maintain the space and live in the space reveals the truth about who you are Being and show you why success, abundance and prosperity still eludes you despite how much you invest in self improvement and healing.

A living room is not just a living room it is an Aladdin’s cave of self-exploration! Even a carpet in that room can reveal truths that years of healing and piles of self growth books have left wanting.

Define what you want clearly

Define what you want and PROVE you want it! My partner joked about owning a Ferrari but when we actually talked about going to test drive and buy one, he realised he didn’t really want a Ferrari he wanted a Mercedes McLaren! My experience of working with business owners is that they assume or borrow common accepted ideas of what they should be aspiring to achieve but it can be a long way from what they truly want.

You can use your power to manifest anywhere…

Even if you are working hard and taking action, if you are not in a place ‘to receive’ you can miss the boat. Where you are in your heart, your mind and your physical location matter – you need to be ‘happy’ and ‘having fun’ – balance is important. Sometimes it simply takes a change in perspective like getting away, to see solutions – I had more ideas for a seminar whilst cruising the Virgin Islands than sitting at home ‘pushing’ myself.

Success is the ability to achieve CONTROL

All areas of your life… your health, your bank account, your relationship, your work are exactly and precisely interconnected. When you are not in control of one, you are not in control of any. That is why there is so much focus on our body weight, shape, image etc. The fact is that the only thing we can control is our body and so when we don’t feel in control (the obvious example being out of shape), we take this feeling of ‘out of control’ into every situation.

Peter, (Lost 26Kgs(60lbs) in 4 months)

Do that which you think you cannot do… change all those things which cause you unhappiness. For every problem you experience, there’s already a solution. Reduce weight and gain shape, fulfilling relationships, fulfilling career, business success ONE STOP SUCCESS.