People often say that motivation does not last. Well, neither does bathing. That’s why we recommend it daily.
–Zig Ziglar
Finding X
Retracted by the puzzle,
Pieces not in place
Pushed by the muzzle,
Embarking on a chase
Chastised by the thought,
Of solving problems
I initially could not.
Full swing of the bat
Home run
Victory gleaned from risk.
Finding X entails a dictionary void of ‘slack’
Divide, add, multiply, subtract
No hope descends
Mind the cataract,
Equations still loiter in the back.
Answers abound,
In a field full of questions
Harvest the most taxing
Where the clouds form
Provide sunshine,
Wake the early bird.
As you sift through the yield,
Sing together knowing
The resolutions to the exigent
Were only
But a step away.
–Dante
Its all in the mind.
Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.
–Henry Ford
What Makes A Genius?
What makes a genius? no, seriously, what makes a person so intellectually adept and exceptionally good at whatever they are doing? Being unfathomably grand so as to be christened the title (of) ‘Genius’?
At times, I look at geniuses like Einstein and think its impossible, that there’s no way I could ever match up to that level of thinking; usually I convince myself in the end that it has to do with DNA. I have been looking for an answer to this question for a long time and after thorough research that pre-dates months, I have gathered what I believe to be integral to becoming a genius.
FEEL MOTIVATED
The first, if not the most important, is motivation; no genius ever comes up with great ideas by not being inspired to think of them. A person needs to feel motivated to achieve something; setting targets for each week or month is a good start. We need to realize that things did not come easy for the people we look up to, they only managed to get where they are by being resilient as well as persistent.
BE YOUR OWN TOUGHEST CRITIC
“Did you write what you believe to be a perfect piece just now? well, news flash, think of something better than that.”
***
“Did you think of something better? good. But still, think of something even better than that.”
***
Many people like myself believe in the perfect first draft of a written piece. However, there is need for self-criticism; really harsh criticism. If it means meditating over a single idea for the course of one day, do so. By being harsh critics to ourselves, and not accepting anything we make as perfect, we will undoubtedly improve.
AVOID BITTERNESS AND THE BLAME GAME
While training , we should avoid feeling hopeless or bitter with whatever we are doing. We should take ‘failure’ as an ‘opportunity’ to learn ways in which we can do things better. Think about it, if we make a mistake today, it just means next time we’ll know what not to do.
AVOID FEELINGS OF CONTENT
Keep pushing, no matter what, even if everything is going well there is always room to do even more. Gratification from success is welcome, however, keeping it to a minimum will help avoid a massive ego.
IGNORE YOUR LIMITATIONS
We need to go past what we believe to be our mental limit. We can never know if an idea is good if we do not take risks and escape our comfort zone.
“The pursuit of greatness never makes logical, “kitchen table” sense… The only way to get there is to go farther, harder, longer than almost everyone else, to push well past the point of logic or reason. If it looked easy or even attainable to most, then many more would get there. That is why ultra-achievers (of whatever age) are also dreamers. They must have part of their heads stuck in the clouds in order to imagine the unimaginable.”
– David Shenk, in the book, The Genius in all of us: New insights into genetics, talent and I.Q.
BE WILLING TO LEARN
We should not feel ashamed for being inspired by other people in our social circle, we could always learn a multitude of things from people that surround us. Ask questions when you don’t know the answer, inquire with others when you’re not sure about something. Patience is key, this process will not happen over night, one step at a time will get us to our intended destination. We need to alter our state of mind and believe that we are capable of greater things. In the end, we need to remember that we all have genius deep within us, all we have to do is bring it out through hard work.
If you want more information try checking out this book:
The Genius in all of us: New insights into genetics, talent and I.Q. by David Shenk.
(All references to the aforementioned book or otherwise are copyright to their respective owners as this entry is purely intended for educational and somewhat didactic purposes)
Caged Beast
Three walls and iron bars
Gnawed by claws
Mauled carcasses
Blood splatter, scratched walls
Fangs marked in blood
Camouflaged by darkness
Bones breaking, long echoes
Glass shattering screams.
Red carpet flows,
Out of the cage
Seeping through cracks
Unshackled,
Roaming free
No need for prison jewelry
My body, a cage
In and of itself.
Caged, with the intent of quelling
The beast still escapes
All that is left?
Bloody paw prints
Reminder,
You can’t change who you are.
–Dante
Faith
“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”
–Martin Luther King Jr.
Spark
Summon the lonely thought
Depression forms a larger fraction
Of all I have wrought
Hoping,
That words spoken
Do not fall on deaf ears
Leaving me broken
Not one with my peers.
Lacrimal glands erode
Removed,
By the winds of change
Pivotal emotions implode
Turn the page.
A new chapter
Uncontrollable laughter
Bright beams bring shadows
Silhouettes in ambiguous forms
Where one exists
Smile
Light is near.
–Dante
They Fell For Each Other.
Eye-contact between them was always prevalent;
Feelings between them were always evident.
Looking at each other with focus, like hawk eyes
Not staying away from each other,
Their feelings, never told lies
Meters apart never broke the unofficial connection;
Each passing day strengthened their visual affection.
It became ritual
To look at each other at a distance, and always smile
Simple gestures would lead to them grinning, for at least a mile.
He could not wait any longer and decided to say “hi”
He discovered that no progress is made until you try,
She responded with a sweet and hearty chuckle
Her eyes always captured him, with their unwavering sparkle.
Hearing her voice was just what he needed to get through the day;
Hearing his voice made her speechless, she did not know what to say.
Hoping to continue the conversation he asked for her name;
She told him, and he did the same.
They had an awkward moment, no-one saying anything to the other,
The simple exchange in looks, signaled a vast amount of words.
The bell rang; it was time for them to go back to class;
Shocking, how quickly time had come to pass.
He hesitantly moved in for a hug,
She smiled and gave him a light tug.
They knew this was going to lead to something greater,
Their connection, without a single word, made them feel much stronger.
If you would have asked them where their connection was headed,
They never knew
Even their friends did not believe it,
Only a few.
Later on in the years as they looked into each others eyes
And smiled since they had nothing to hide
He would put the ring on her finger and fulfill their dream of him being the groom
And her being the bride.
–Dante
Unveil.
I want you to look at the moonlit sky, imagine a space-ship passing-by, you’re in the space ship; see the stars? that’s only the beginning, the starting line is past the constellations. Venture past what we call galaxies, discover the unknown, go where we don’t know, that is the destination. The need to be different, looking to leave a mark in history, changing a single mind is more than a victory. Ink mixed with propane, each letter, each word, is fuel, capable of sparking flames of creativity within yourself, and others. Deep within your mind is an idea, there’s always one, all you need to do is find it.
A willingness to learn, perfecting the craft, there is a genius that resides within everyone, the first step is the hardest part. Be inspired by the thought of being inspired, everyone you believe to be better is your equal. Aim beyond the milky way, cross-hairs aligned with an entirely different solar system; Become one with the stars, create your own mark in the sky, but no matter what, remember where you came from.
–Dante
Setting up.
Status Update:
Hey everyone, the hiatus was purely intentional, I wanted to set up a proper schedule for my calendar that would make it easier for everyone to know when I was going to post my next piece of writing. So the next time I disappear it wont be because I am slacking, but because I don’t want to post randomly with no real direction. I used these last two days to refine all the pieces I have already written; Expect nothing but my best.
I hope everyones’ week is going well so far.
–Dante
O.D. 