OMG YOU GENIUS, YOU!

Hey, there!

In a weird week where a lot of things felt discombobulated and off and funky and what is this world we're in and its almost like lots of people are going about their business 'back to normal' but nothing feels 'normal' to me and what am I supposed to be doing with my life . . .

(anybody else? was that just me this week?)

. . . in the middle of all that, I learned a fun fact . . .

(this has nothing to do with the discombobulation but distracted me anyway)

. . . a fun fact about the Latin root and history of the word . . .

genius.

The ancient Romans believe that each person was born with a personal guiding spirit, called a genius, whose role was to move the person through life and ocnduct them out of the world at death.

This being was something between a god and a human, traveling with you through life, helping to highlight your individual and unique disposition and gfits in the world, while protecting your morals and character.

Which is to say, they believed:

Every single person has a genius.

That genius is your unique talent to share with the world.

ISN'T THAT GREAT?!?

Of course, we all know that this meaning has been smooshed around over time. The word became more attached to the talent itself than the person. Then came to mean only some specific and really extreme level of talent. And honestly who can even be a genius with the way the word is used today.

Soooo . . .

I'm not saying the ancients did everything right.

But I love this one thing they did.

What if we could fully embrace the idea that every single one of us has a genius?

Every. Single. One.

You. Yep. And her. And him. And them. And this one and that one and every single one.

WHAT IF

You could believe in your own genius.

You could believe that you have this extraordinarily unique gift for the world.

I don't mean that each of us has to live was society might deem an extraordinary life, doing wild and epic things.

I mean: just by being you, and having been born, and being alive now . . .

(genius also comes from the root gene, which is to be born and also when we think about our 'genes' isn't it wild that some other person's genius was to connect the meaning of 'genes' and how we think about the DNA we are born with, to genius, and we're all born and have genes and what if our genius is either a guiding spirit helping us on our way or what if our genius is written in our genes I DUNNO BUT IT'S ALL COOL AND CAN BE SUPPORTED WITHIN MANY MANY DIFFERENT BELIEF SYSTEMS)

. . . sorry, got carried away . . .

Just by being you, and having been born, you are extraordinary.

You are unique.

And you have something to share.

Maybe you're meant to share with the people closest to you, maybe with the whole world, who knows? But you have these talents that nobody but you has, and don't you dare not share them!

Maybe we can start to meet this part of ourselves, and by doing so become more ready to meet this same part in each person we encounter out in the world.

Maaaaaaybe.

Let's try it.

Whatcha gonna share this week, ya frickin' genius?!?