UNLEASHING THE GENIUS IN YOU

UNLEASHING THE HIDDEN GENIUS IN YOU

 "It's not that I'm so "It's not that I'm so smart; it's just that I stay with problems longer".

Quoted above were the words of a man, whom almost everyone acclaimed to be a "genius". In fact, he is said to be a genius among geniuses. He is an embodiment of pure intellect. A foremost scientist indeed. One of the most prominent thinkers ever walked the planet earth. I would call him an "intellectual giant". This man, in his quote, "it's not that I'm so smart; it's just that I stay with problems longer", reveals to us the mystery behind his intellectual capability. It can be deduced from this statement of his that the reason why he seemed to be extraordinarily smart was due to the fact that he stayed with problems longer. He's trying to tell us that his level of smartness, though exceptional, was not exclusive. It can also be attained by anybody.
What do I want us to learn from this? Most times when I hear some people talk about people being genius, possessing some extraordinary or super human intellectual capacity. I usually think if these so called "genius" actually exist. And if yes?  Why is it exclusive to them alone? Why is it not so with everybody? Were they born without the normal method of human reproduction? These and some other questions are what pop up in me anytime they - geniuses - are being talked about.  Later on, I begin to discover some truths, and I eventually got a new orientation of what it means to be a genius. It's not that those people, whom we refer to as genius are superhuman or that they have some exceptional abilities. No, they don't! We are all created equal by God, and he has given us, I believe, the same level of brain capacities needed for us to make a difference in our worlds. We are all endowed with the same thinking and reasoning faculty. Yes, I accede to the fact that some people are exceptionally good! I acknowledge the excellency of their thinking and reasoning. Also, I'm quite aware that the level of some people's accuracy and analysis with data's and facts makes the mind to stagger in sheer awe.
However, the point I'm making is that these people are not just born excellent or exceptional. No! They developed themselves into it. They didn't just sleep and wake up and suddenly become "gurus" they paid the price to get the prize. Those who we call genius are those who have taken their time to invest so much into themselves in respect to the use of their brains. They don't just allow their brains to lie dormant; they subject it to maximum use which in turn lead to their excellent results. Albert Einstein makes us to realize that his "staying with problems longer " was the secret behind his ingenuity and prodigy. By staying long with problems, he was subjecting his brain to effective and maximum usefulness, which in turn generated astounding and mouth watering results.
I have come to discover that We all possess the same level of aptitude but our level of assessment of this aptitude is what makes the difference. God has so much endowed us with great skills and aptitudes, but many of us often fail to make use of them, while those who make maximum use of theirs are often regarded as "genius". This is what we often use to cover up our laziness, lack of seriousness and initiative. Many of us are hiding under the umbrella  of mediocrity and conformity, while those who refuse to stay in the cage of averageness with will be regarded as "genius", "guru" or "extraordinary " why are they called "extraordinary" ? Is it not because of the  extra effort they add to their aptitude? If you also, who are ordinary, can add extra  effort, extra seriousness,  extra hard work,  won't you also become extraordinary ? "no one reigns without the use of the brain", says bishop oyedepo.  If you also want to reign and be among the list of the "genius" and "gurus", then subject your brain to maximum use.  You are a potential genius and there's a "guru" in you. Oh how I wish everyone could discover this truth and bring out the hidden "genius" in them!
Hear what Chris Imafidon, a Professor at the University of Oxford, England, whose children have been described as world’s brainiest kids, said to a reporter when interviewed,  "I will always echo it and my mantra is that every child is a genius. If every child is a genius, then it shouldn’t matter if you are at the top of the class, bottom or middle.  David Cameron tried it with me and he lost $25m. That was what we used to build our first school in Birmingham. He said that for my child to pass the General Certificate of Secondary Education exam at the age of six, it was just the gene. I told him it didn’t have anything to do with the gene. I told him to give me the worst performing schools and I would work with the least students and he should come back nine months later. He laughed at it. But when he came back nine months later, he knew what he saw. I spoke to the children, I mentored them and I adopted them as if they were my biological children. I didn’t even teach them all the subjects, I just spoke to their personality and I used one or two subjects as samples and they were flying. In one year, they beat the best. Shakespeare said some people are born great while others achieve greatness, and some others have greatness instilled in them; giving us a suggestion that when God makes people, He makes some one way and the others another way. God is not jobless to make some human beings with half brains. Don’t ever say somebody is useless. You are not even insulting the person, you are insulting the God that created the person" 
Now, you see that it's not a matter of you not being a genius; it's a matter of you not being enlightened to your hidden abilities. I actually understand the fact that some of us tend to be more intellectually advantaged than other; this can be as a result of environmental influence or some other factors. But my stand still remains that you can be the best if you are strongly determined to get nothing but the best! listen, there's no genius anywhere. All geniuses cultivate and develop themselves to be genius. You too can be a genius if you can properly develop and cultivate yourself.
STEPS TO DEVELOPING THE GENIUS IN YOU

1. REALISE YOURSELF: The first and the most fundamental thing you have to do is to realize yourself. You can only bring our what you see within yourself. If you can't see that genius in there, you can never live to be like one. "Champions become Champions from within not from without ", observed John Maxwell. Most successful people had seen the success in themselves before they worked to bring it out, then others now saw its manifestation. You have to first believe in yourself as someone capable of being the best. John Maxwell in his book talent is never enough remarked, "to reach your potential, you must believe in your potential, and determine to live way beyond average". Realizing and believing in yourself is the fundamental key to unleashing your best.

 2. BE ADDICTED TO READING: Readers, they say, are leaders. For you to activate your hidden potential, you need to feed your mind regularly. As indispensable as food is to your physical body, so also books are to your  mind. Your mind depreciates and degenerate if you don't feed it with books. You need serious reading to sharpen your thinking and reasoning skills, and enlarge the scope of your mental faculty. The importance of reading, as far as being a genius is concerned, cannot be overemphasized. You have to be extraordinarily addicted to reading if you really want to set the genius withing you free.

3. BE A GOOD THINKER:
Another thing that is very much important, though synonymous to the previous point, is thinking. You need to be a good thinker. Mind you; I don't mean you should be so much moody or ruminative or brooding, neither should you be too anxious for the future. No! That's not the kind of thinking I'm talking about. What I'm saying, in regards to thinking, is that you should constantly exercise your mind positively. Develop the habit of thoughtful meditation. Always learn to think and reflect on any idea or things you have learnt - and that you are learning. It helps to build up your mind and hone your aptitude. For you to unleash that hidden genius in you, you must be a very good thinker.

 4. DISCOVER YOUR STRENGTH ZONE : Albert Einstein remarks, "everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live it's whole life believing that it is stupid" . Yes it's true that everybody body is a potential genius, as argued, so far, in this write up. However, I like you to understand that not everyone has the same area of advantage. Our strength zone: the area where we are best advantaged differs. So the best thing is to discover that area of your strength if you must live out your genius potential. When you are trying to strengthen your weaknesses – areas where you are not very much talented – rather  than strengthening your strength – areas where you are most talented - you will never live up to your potential. The fact that Usain Bolt is the fastest runner does not make him the world best player. When he is on track, he becomes an hero but when he happens to find himself on field, he is a little better than the least of all footballers. Your strength zone is that area where your skills, talents and ingenuity can best be utilized. Trying to be what you are not will get you nothing but frustration. You might not live to realize the fullest of your potentials on earth if you don't discover your strength. Try and discover that area where you are most gifted and begin to work on it, you will soon become what people will call "genius"

 5. PRACTICE: "if you don't tap into your talent, it wastes away", says John Maxwell. Practice is what enables you to fully discover yourself and also to open the key of your hidden potential. Practice is what makes you fully discover your abilities and test them. It enables you to get fully in touch with your hidden self. Practice helps sharpen your aptitude. Again, John Maxwell says, "if you don't practice you shortchange your potential" lance Armstrong also says, "success comes from training harder and digger than others " And how do you dig and train higher than others? Through practice. You may never realize your true abilities if you don't get yourself engaged in hard training and practice.

6. KEEPING COMPANY WITH SHARP MINDS:
There's is no question about the fact that we,  human beings, are a product of our environment. I've come to discover that our minds, which is very much sensitive to information, tend to pick up whatever is present in our environment, and with time it begins to forms the basis of our own attitudes. Moving with those from whom you can learn and add to your knowledge base goes a long way in helping you to develop your own ingenuity. They will challenge you and help to bring out the best in you. On the other hand, if you are moving with those who are not serious and have no vision about their lives, you will soon begin to get influenced by them at the expense of your hidden potential. It is a common saying that, "iron sharpens iron " Move with serious minded people and you will see yourself becoming the best you are designed to be.

7. DISCOVER YOUR LEARNING STRATEGY: This is very much crucial to developing oneself. Everyone has different kinds of ways through which we learn. It's important for you to discover what works for you in order to get the best out of yourself. Try and have a very good reading and learning strategy, as it will go a long way in helping you to learn and assimilate easily. Try and discover what's peculiar to you with regards to learning and gaining ideas. A good strategy is indispensably needed for you to bring out the hidden genius in you.

8. PAYING THE PRICE: 
After you have done all that have been highlighted above, there's yet another thing you need to consider; it is the price! Nothing good comes without a price. If you are going to unleash your potential, you will need to pay the price. Someone wisely observed, "success is a matter of luck, ask any failure" all those whom we acclaim to be exceptionally good are those who have taken their time to pay the price for greatness. “ask any First Class student in school and he will tell you his First Class investments that leads to his First Class rating, says bishop oyedepo. Albert Einstein was paying the price by staying longer with problems even when others have quitted. If you really want to live out your hidden genius, and make them list of those who are regarded as exceptional, be ready to pay the price and make the necessary sacrifices. You will need to pay the price in:
A. Intense prayers
B. Perseverance
C.  Never quitting
D.  Enduring criticism
E.  laborious reading and studying
F. Denying yourself of comfort
G.  Sleepless nights, etc.

If you can be determined enough to live by these principles, no doubt, you are going to  become a "guru". May I close with these words:

 THERE IS A GENIUS IN YOU!
GOD BLESS YOU!!!
© OLAKUNLE PAUL