A Complete Genius
by Alan
Cohen
 While meandering through a
bookstore, I discovered a wealth of books for dummies and idiots. You have
probably seen the many volumes directed at stupid people, such as Computers
for Dummies and Complete Idiot's Guide to Dating. I even saw Complete Idiot's Guide to Near-Death Experiences!
There are hundreds of titles in each of these very popular series, and the
number is growing rapidly.
I was struck by how readily we
identify ourselves as dummies and idiots. Obviously we think we are stupid, and
these books will help. I wonder what would happen if I published a similar
series for geniuses, such as Golf for Sages or The Complete Genius’s
Guide to Home Repair. I have a hunch they wouldn’t sell very well at all.
Not because we are not geniuses. Because we have been trained to regard
ourselves as stupid.
When I was little, I sat on my
front porch one morning and sang several rousing verses of "Take Me Out to the
Ballgame." A few days later I overheard my mother casually tell someone, "Alan
has a foghorn voice." That idea made an impression on me, and I did not sing for
many years. After all (at that age), your mother knows everything, and if she
said I couldn’t sing, I couldn’t sing.
Perhaps you had a similar
experience. Perhaps early in life you adopted a thought about yourself that
defined you as small, ugly, incapable, or unlovable. Most of us did. And perhaps
you went on to live as if that identity was true. And perhaps, like many, you
collected a pool of tears in your heart and went through life hurting because
you wished you could be more.
You are more. The genius
you were born as, still lives, and can be reactivated at any moment. Genius is
your reality and the dark programming is your adopted personality. When Abraham
(through Esther Hicks) was challenged, "You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,"
Abraham answered, "You have no idea what an old dog you are!" Who you were
before you learned self-defeating tricks, is still very much available and eager
to come forth and shine.
There is a story in the annals of
education about an elementary school teacher who arrived on the first day of
school and perused her class roster. Next to each child’s name was the number of
a very high I.Q. "126, 135, 140," Miss Everett read aloud, eyebrows raised.
"Thank goodness I finally got a bright class!"
Miss Everett went on to stimulate
the loftiest abilities in her wiz-kids. She gave them challenging projects, took
them on field trips, and offered them leeway to explore their work in creative
ways. At the end of the semester all the students earned A’s and B’s. The day
after report cards came out, the principal called her into his office and asked,
"Miss Everett, what did you do with these kids?"
"What do you mean?" she asked
innocently.
"You took some of the
lowest-functioning students in the school and turned them into
geniuses!"
"I don’t understand what you’re
talking about," the teacher replied. "These kids were bright when I got them.
Here, just look at their I.Q.’s in my roll book."
The principal scanned her roster
and replied, astonished, "Miss Everett, these are their locker
numbers!"
The people around us tend to
become who we think they are, so let us focus on the highest in everyone we
meet.
Renowned success teacher Dale
Carnegie, author of the most popular self-help book of all time, How to Win Friends & Influence People, began his
career in an unexpected way. One night while teaching an adult school English
course, he ran out of lecture material before the class time was up. So he
invited several students to each stand before the class and talk about him -- or
herself -- an exercise utterly unheard of at that time. The results were
extraordinary! The speakers came to life in a way he had not seen when they were
studying English, and the class responded energetically. Mr. Carnegie had
happened upon the transformational power of authentic self-expression, which
ultimately revolutionized (perhaps even created) the genre of personal
development. Later he wrote, "Give them a reputation to live up
to!"
The words "genius" and "genuine"
are almost identical, and they proceed from the same Latin root word. The key to
genius is genuineness. The more you are who you are, the more your genius comes
forth. On the other hand, the more you sell out and try to be what you think you
should be or live up to others’ expectations, the more you stifle your
brilliance. Most great scientists, inventors, musicians, and artists, are
somewhat eccentric. They have the guts to be all of what they are, even if the
package doesn’t fit the social mold. They just let all of their talents rip, and
in so doing they change the world for the better.
Here’s to your genuine genius.
I’ll look for your book in the store.
Book written by this author:
 Dare to Be Yourself: How to Quit
Being an Extra in Other Peoples Movies and Become the Star of Your Own
by Alan
Cohen.
Dare To Be Yourself will dramatically enlighten, empower, and enliven you as you
awaken to life and love and the unique gifts that are yours to give the world.
For More Info or To Order This Book.
 About The Author
Alan
Cohen is the author of numerous popular inspirational books, including the
award-winning A
Deep Breath of Life. To request a free catalog of Alan's books,
tapes, and seminars, call 1-800-462-3013 or visit Alan's web site at www.alancohen.com.
For info on upcoming events, contact 455A Kukuna Road, Haiku, HI 96708,
(800) 568-3079, email:
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