How to be a Genius

Last week I wrote about how the changes in the world are requiring us to become more androgynous in our thinking, and yesterday I interviewed Laurie Foley about using your intuition in your work (you can download the call over here). Following on with this theme, I found this video below, of Mae Jemison’s presentation at TEDtalks, which I wanted to share with you, because I think she has an incredibly inspiring message. And perhaps more importantly, I think she IS an incredibly inspiring message. Here’s what she’s got to say about how to be a genius:

You don’t have to have just one “thing”

As someone who is a renaissance soul with multiple interests and wanting to live multiple different lives in different industries, I tend to attract and work with a lot of people who have a similar “problem” – that they want to do many things, and that often learning in itself is the attraction, so we love to move around and try out new careers. But the general “rules” about success that most of us have grown up with say things like, “find your one true passion and stick with that – focus will create your success. If you want to do many things, you’ll have to accept that you’ll always be mediocre at whatever you do.” Needless to say, that sort of advice sits quite uncomfortably with us, because we’ll probably never have just one “thing.”

I love that Mae is a living example that breaks the whole assumption that, in order to be successful, you need to find and focus on one thing. So far she’s worked as a qualified engineer, medical doctor and astronaut (proving that you can be a professional renaissance soul). In 1992, she was the first African-American woman to go into space, and she’s the only real astronaut to have appeared on Star Trek (I would totally put that on my business card if I were her!). Since then, she has established a variety of projects that promote a new vision of learning – education that combines science and art, logic and intuition… basically, whole mind learning.

Use your whole mind – even (or especially) if most people in your industry are only using half theirs

In her presentation, Mae does a great job of breaking the assumption that you have to choose between a “right-brain” or “left-brain” career, depending on where your strengths lie. She talks about how genius comes from using your whole mind – regardless of what industry you’re in.

Make assumptions that will support your success

I love that she says, “I always just assumed I’d go into space…” Do you just casually and calmly assume you’ll do the cool stuff you want to do, or do you doubt, wish and agonize over it?

Video source: www.ted.com

Do you know any other examples of people who are successful Renaissance Souls, doing many things and doing them well? I’d love to hear about them.
And I’d love to know how you’re using your whole mind in your work – especially if you’re in a workplace that typically promotes one type of thinking over the other (as in left-brain directed thinking or right-brain-directed thinking.)

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