I am in the process of framing a conversation in which we’ll discuss those parents, teachers, role models, mentors, advisers and/or friends who assisted us in finding our inner genius and in guiding it into pathways that led to personal fulfillment and benefit to those around us. Four ages/stages were on my mind: early years of development, teenage years, young adult years and now.
Yesterday I had cause to make some adjustments. A friend sent an e-mail that included a paragraph about strengths she can observe in her young granddaughter, a child only months old. Now I believe all of us have special gifts and talents so what Vickie wrote was exciting to me. She was describing looking for the “genius within,” and she was finding it!
Thomas Armstrong, in his book, Awakening Genius, identified 12 qualities of genius—which he describes as “giving birth to one’s joy.” These qualities of genius include curiosity, playfulness, imagination, creativity, wonder, wisdom, inventiveness, vitality, sensitivity, flexibility, humor and joy. Others could be named, but this is a good “starter set.”
Vickie’s e-mail alerted me to the importance of expanding our upcoming conversation beyond those who were “shining lights” for us to what our desires/intentions might be for young children in our lives, whether grandchildren or others. The emphasis on been on receiving. Now we would add giving back.
Probably we have experienced the power of simple "genius" experiences and know how extraordinarily effective they can be. My source of inspiration was a question voiced by my little sister when I returned home from my first day at school. Mary asked, “What did you learn today, Bethene?” I’ve been teaching—and learning--ever since!
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