Finding my Infinity

Don’t let anyone call you a genius. You must remember, genius can be defined. There are a thousand definitions characterizing what society believes genius to be. They range from the precise to the creative. The point is that they are all definitions.

You see, definitions are what we humans use as a form of absolution and limitation. By giving something a definition, we feel a sense of superiority and dominance. It is as if by that mere classification, we have proven that something can be confined within the block lettering of a word and a number of sentences. So I tell you today, from now on, see the word genius as an insult. Do not aspire to be a genius. Today, I am telling you to aspire to be you. Yes, ‘you’ is yet another word but whom it is referring to isn’t. You can be anything you want. You can be anything you want. It is our decisions that finalize who we are. But you must remember that mankind is capable of endless possibilities. Do not limit yourself. Do not aspire to be one thing; be many. Do not live with fear. Fear is yet another word. We are infinite in so many ways that we are yet to understand. Why do we settle for finiteness?

Go out today and live your life with the primary aim of living an undefined life. The best way to achieve that is to put as much of yourself in everything that you do: in your work, in your leisure. In everything.

You are infinite. Explore the endless possibilities. There is so much beyond the walls of your skin. I see it. It sounds crazy, but I do…figuratively speaking. I need you to believe that too. If you do that, if you believe in the power of who you are, impossible will no longer be considered a valid word to you.

The world will try to define you. That is what we do. But I plead you this: when you’ve breathed your last breath, and your flesh has turned to dust, when the only sky above you is solid rock, marble stone with engravings of a name that once mattered to you, by gosh! If that marble must speak of you in any way, let it say ‘Infinite’. For that is the closest definition to the truth.

Some times I look at what I write and I’m like, “I wrote that? Wow.” These are one of those times. I wrote this June of last year, when I was 18 and full of ideas. I still am, but I’ve suppressed most of my ideas and let school be more of a priority — something I very much regret. I remember writing this. The plan was to save it till I graduate from college, when I would be chosen as the commencement speaker because of my amazing achievements, or for a TED Talk that I’d be giving because of how much of an inspiration I had become in the technical field. This would be a fraction of the ‘mind-blowing’ speech I’d give years from now. For the purpose of this blog post, I decided to leave the little speech I wrote in its ‘raw’ form. It still has its errors and conflicting choice of words and opinions, but I think I like it that way…for now.

I believe a good bit has changed since I wrote this little speech. I believe I’ve changed a lot in regards to my views and my aspirations or the methods by which I wish to fulfill my aspirations. It’s a good thing honestly. Its part of the growing and getting old process. My subjection to growth has allowed me to see the loopholes in my life and allowed me to focus on fixing them.

First off, let me tell you a bit more about what was going through my head when writing this. I was a little bitter with the fact that I wasn’t a genius. I considered my parents to be geniuses because they were pretty smart and I had been sucked into defining things by the world’s standards. Even though I did well in school I always felt the need to compare myself with others’ standards or others’ achievements. My heart was full of jealousy and ungratefulness. At the time of writing this speech, I was also becoming more skeptical of societal values in regards to education, success and status. Looking back, I think this was me approaching my own ‘age of enlightenment’.

My mind and heart were full of questions that I believed needed answers and because I was too afraid — or proud — to ask these questions, I tried to answer them myself. That didn’t really go well most of the time.

It’s amazing how certain I seem in this speech. I feel like I gain some sort of feeling of authority through writing. I wrote this speech with hope for the future, hope that despite not being labelled as a ‘genius’, I would be able to achieve amazing things and inspire others to do the same, to find the infinity in them. But, how could I do that when I couldn’t find the infiniteness in myself? How could I direct others to greatness when I was still lost in the uncertainty and lack of confidence in the direction I was going? I preached infinity and didn’t believe that vision for myself…until last month.

Last month I found my infinity in the last place I thought I’d never find it. I found how I could be anything and everything I needed to be. I found my key to endless possibilities. I found the truth to my hopes and dreams. It all became real in a couple of weeks and has been ever since.

“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

—Philippians 4:13

I was looking everywhere for infinity without realizing that it was right beside me. When I finally started looking in the right place, I found it. My infinity was published right in the Bible. The only way that I can attain all things, do all things, the only way that I can be infinite is through Christ who STRENGTHENS me. And everyday, I feel like I’m drawing closer and closer to a world full of possibilities as I continue to allow Christ to strengthen me through the Word. I feel invincible and it’s down right amazing! I feel like a superhero who can take on any villain. Like a Spider-Man whose best friend is Jesus instead of Harry Osborn (sorry Harry).

I live my life now believing that little speech ‘cus I now have every right to. I don’t have to wait till I get to have a TED Talk or till graduation ‘cus I’ve already attained greatness. It only get’s better from here. My life will scream infinite. My grave will read infinite. My end of days will not be ruled by that marble rock that describes how I lived my life. My story will not end with my grave being my only sky. My story will instead continue when I finally become part of the sky, playing in the clouds and living in endless glory and happiness with the people I inspired, the people who inspired me, and the man who gives me the power to be infinite.

I. Can’t.Wait.

What about you? Where does your infinity lie?