Do you know what your genius is?
Why You Absolutely Must Know
If you can’t identify the genius within yourself, you’ll never reach your full potential. Until you find your genius, you’ll feel overwhelmed, frustrated, and bored. If you’re successful, but still feel unhappy, you have yet to find your true calling. How do you know if you’ve found your true calling? If someone asks you what your genius is, do you have an honest answer? If you aren’t sure what you were meant to do in life, you’ll find yourself aimlessly grinding through your daily routine. It can all start to feel pointless. But it doesn’t have to feel that way. When you discover your own genius, life becomes more fulfilling and gratifying.
My Genius: Helping People
Nothing sharpens the mind like a near-death experience.
I worked on a cruise ship that sunk during a wild storm in South Africa. In the immediate years that followed, the near-death experience really didn’t leave a profound mark on me. To me, the event made for little more than an entertaining anecdote at dinner parties. My lack of self-awareness (or possibly my young age) kept me from grasping the severity of what happened. It took me 20 years to understand what my reaction to the situation said about who I was. When it became clear that we were going to sink, the senior officers and crew jumped ship. Despite being among the lowest-paid staff members on the ship, those in charge left us to save the lives of 170 people. I hadn’t thought twice about helping those people, and I certainly didn’t consider abandoning them. I acted completely on instinct. Years later, I finally started having an honest conversation with myself about what happened and the way I reacted to it. It became clear to me that I loved helping complete strangers. I knew that to feel fulfilled in life, I had to explore my passion for helping others.
“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.”Mark Twain
Looking Within Out of Desperation
If you no longer love what you do, then look for new challenges. Whether you’re 15 or 60, you must be passionate about your work. If you have the energy and drive, you must stop looking for excuses and begin looking to align yourself with your purpose. After a long period of introspection, I knew it was time to use my skills to help connect small business owners with support networks. I’d experienced the feelings of isolation and frustration that are common among all small businesses. I knew exactly what our customers were going through. I wanted to use my knowledge and experience to help small business owners.
The Risk–And the Reward
It took me a while. It didn’t come naturally for me. I had to work at the discovery process. My first step was realizing that I needed to learn more. I read the book Unique Ability by Catherine Nomura. After finishing it, I realized I needed to get more creative. I started by emailing my friends and asking for an honest assessment of our friendship. I wanted to know why they considered themselves friends of mine. Sending this email was a terrifying experience! I really had to step outside my comfort zone, but the results were absolutely worth it! I got some specific and unusual answers to this question and learned a lot about myself along the way. This process was so rewarding that I highly recommend everyone try it.
I also did a few character assessment tests. Some were more accurate than others. To me, they always felt so rigid. How could a series of questions make a profound assessment of your character? Personally, I found it much harder to identify with these assessments, and much more rewarding to consider the feedback from my friends. Although your own self-awareness is important, the true magic is in having a complete 360-degree assessment. Learning about yourself from others is one of the best ways to assess your strengths, weaknesses, and the impact you have on people.
Avoiding Misalignment
I worked in hospitality for over nine years. After that, I spent a decade running my own events business. I used to tell people that the best part of the industry was the gratitude I felt from my customers. The appreciation I received after the event was over–the thanks, handshakes, hugs, tips, and even sometimes kisses–was truly the most gratifying part. People had enjoyed what I created so much that they gave an immediate response. The response and emotion that I felt were unlike anything I’d experienced at an office job. As I transitioned from worker to business owner, I no longer had the time to work many of the events. Although I found success in my management position, I missed the intimacy I used to feel from my customers’ feedback. Seeing our customers react in such a powerful, emotional way made a profound impact on my life. I was hooked on the endorphins and the oxytocin released with every “thank you.” I missed that feeling.
It Will Change Your Life
When I figured out what I wanted in my life, the whole process became much easier. When I wrote out my why and the ensuing business plan, the money wasn’t even mentioned. On a list of the ten reasons why I wanted to start Eccountability, revenue didn’t even make the list. Sure, I needed a business model that put food on the table and a roof over my head, but money was not the deciding factor. Helping others was most important, and the reason we were able to include the free one-in-six in our mission statement. The phrase, “you get what you pay for” is a well-known cliche. Sometimes even the best-known sayings lack truth over time. Our beta testers, for example, have not been charged. Even so, they value their mastermind tribe so highly that they continue to support each other outside of the weekly sessions.
Now what?
Knowing is only the first step. You have to go out and use your knowledge. Find as many opportunities as possible to do what you love. You’ve already wasted too much time. Get out there and create.
“I write only when inspiration strikes. Fortunately, it strikes every morning at nine o’clock sharp.”W. Somerset Maugham
Are you ready to discover your genius? Here’s how
If you already know it then tell us. My genius is…
