The Genius Within

Some proclaim themselves geniuses. Some cannot believe they are capable of genius. Most will accept momentary achievement as a form of genius and appreciate it. Most will also doubt they have the mark of genius. It is a sign of their humility. And we take comfort from that.

I’ve had friends and colleagues in which I’ve felt certain they were of genius rank. You, too? They are the folks who quietly consider the facts and then, quite some time later, offer an opinion that sounds more like an eternal truth! They just have it figured out; and I don’t!

Some people live in the past; some in the future; but very few in the now.

For some reason the now is hard to take. Is that why we seek to party? Is this the way we cope with the now? To laugh, drink, eat and be merry seems at times to be the means by which we consume the now.

When I was a kid we traveled the western states. For weeks on end we roamed purposely across vast stretches of open space. We viewed mountain ranges, deserts, small towns and forested hills; and dales. Meadowlands posited in the crotch of two mountains were my favorite. Think Yosemite and you have a picture of what I mean. Deep lush grasslands lying amidst granite pinnacles. And forest surrounding it all. A place of quiet. Fresh nature. Consumed and felt, seen and tasted.

Nature’s presence defined the now. And it was good. Very, very good.

At times of chaos I think back to those travels through pristine forests and valleys. Order and quiet were the balm then; also, now. Repose. Rest. Think. Feel. Sense. Imagine the greatness of the universe and how small each of us is. Rich or poor, this is the truth, our smallness.

So then, what of genius? Perhaps it is perceiving reality clearly and factually. Maybe it is our ability to process the core truths while in chaos? The outcome of such effort provides what? Answers rather than more chaos?

One can hope. It is not a given. One must continue to think clearly in whatever situation. Your calm makes my calm. With peace thinking moves on toward its conclusions. And then we learn. Perhaps that is the genius?

Hmm! I’ll have to think on that a bit more. You, too?

August 8, 2018