Imagination: The road map for a successful genius….
“Am I successful in Life?”
“Am I a genius?”
Several times I questioned myself….
Everyone has their own definitions and factors which decides either they are ‘successful’ or ‘genius’ in their lives…. I have my own too….
Being an Indian, we have the general ideas that decides one’s success… good at studies, having a good job with 5 figure salary, bank balance, happily married (I never understand this), having children (especially boys), big house, weekend parties and movies, good at English, having friends who can influence or refer or recommend etc… etc… and all those factors related to money and happiness.
Most of the times, people surrounding me, like friends, relatives and neighbors decides whether I am successful in life or not, even though most of them actually don’t know what i am capable of. And if I think about their views about ‘success’, I never become a successful person in my life. Because I am average at studies (sometimes people imagine about me that I am an intelligent), do not have a job with good salary, not thinking about marriage and had been living for many years in rented houses and I am not a partying person and of course I watch many movies (most preferably in my laptop), my English is below average (I know you already got that) and do not have influential friends etc… etc…
And we have a concept that those are ‘successful’ in life are ‘geniuses’…. so, I am not a genius too…
Now, i am questioning again myself…. ‘Am I not a genius?’….
I am now at my thirties, still I have time to be successful in my life, because age is not a factor which decides our success. We can get it at any age. But what about being a ‘genius’?, I never checked my IQ, because I won’t believe it.
“Taking right decision at right time or grabbing the opportunities when they knocked your door or creating your own opportunities for success”, are these the qualities that a genius have? OMG, I am confused, generally, I take a lot of time to take a decision and most of them…. you know, I think you understood…. and opportunities, still I have to work on them….
But I read this sentence…..
“Thousands of geniuses live and die undiscovered — either by themselves or by others — Mark Twain”
Is this happening in my case?
“Why do some people rise to greatness and others do not?”…
This question made me to read about the stories of some achievers…. the common thing is that, most of their stories are started with failures only…. and the important thing is that “they never give up”… All their stories describe their remarkable “transformations” and their ‘imaginations” with a great effort of ‘Practice”.
We have so many examples in the history….
Henry Ford failed in business several times and was flat broke five times before he found ‘Ford Motors’. Thomas Edison, in his youth, considered too stupid to learn anything by his teachers. Beethoven was so awkward on violin and was considered and believed as hopeless as a composer. Michael Jordan didn’t make his sophomore team because he was deemed too short and average to play at that level. Stan Smith, a world-class tennis player (winner of Wimbledon, U.S Open and 8 Davis cups) was once rejected for the lowly position of a ball boy, because he was felt too clumsy and uncoordinated by the event organizers.
Another important story is about Ted Williams, a baseball legend who was considered as the most “gifted” hitter at his times was believed to have natural abilities far beyond ordinary men. Williams began his path to greatness at the age of seven, when he decided to dedicated his entire life to one singular task: “hitting the baseball as perfectly as possible.”
Starting at the young age, Williams spent every free minute he had by hitting balls at San Diego’s old North field park, every day, year after year. His childhood friends recall finding him on that field smashing balls with outer shells completely beaten off, with a splintered bat, and with blistered and bleeding hands. He used to spend his lunch money to hire other kids to shag his balls so he could hit as many as possible everyday. When he go to home at night, he used to swing a rolled-up newspaper in the mirror until he went to bed. This obsession continued throughout William’s entire professional career, and it’s no surprise that he excelled because of it. That kind of dedication only comes from the heart — a true love and passion for the activity.
All these stories tell us about these common points…..
First, the seed of greatness exists in every human being, whether it sprouts or not, it is our choice. Second, there are no such things as natural-born under or over-achievers, there are only people that tap into their true potentials and people that don’t. Third, the most generally recognized thing is “great talent”, in almost all cases, nothing more than the outward manifestations of unwavering dedication to a process. Fourth, great achievers work very hard and take advantage of opportunities…. but it is not enough.
“Why do some people recognize, appreciate, and pursue opportunities with passion and determination and whereas others don’t?”
“Why are some people willing to push through hell and high water to win, whereas others quit early and easily?”
Are there practical answers to these questions, or are they unsolvable enigmas of human psychology?
Psychologist Dr. Alfred Barrios, conducted a research to analyze the lives of history’s greatest geniuses. By the end of his research, Barrios has pieced together his “genius code” — a profound insight into what really spawns greatness. One of those single characteristics of Barrios genius code is — “IMAGINATION”.
History’s greatest geniuses had greatest visions and greatest imaginations…. When we see the recent English movies, which were competed at Oscars, majorly describes about the ‘Imaginations” of greatest minds…. The imitation game, The theory of everything, Birdman, Whiplash, Selma, Boyhood and The grand budapest hotel etc. Imagination will make you do wonders and sometimes it is difficult to understand greatest imaginations of some wonderful people(like the imagination of ‘Christopher Nolan’s’ Interstellar ;-) 😉😁).
Now, I am questioning again myself, “what is my imagination?” which will make me into a genius…. because….
“The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.”
— Albert Einstein.
Imagination creates geniuses….. If we have ever dreamed a greatest imagination to become a successful genius, to just have a burning desire to improve ourselves, our aspects of life, then we have an adventure waiting in our lives….
to become a genius….
Because, we rely on geniuses to entertain us, to educate us, lead us, and show us all what our species is capable of. We rely on geniuses to give us smart phones, electric cars, cures for diseases, social networking sites, movies, food, and indeed the very fabric of our culture.
Then, What I am waiting for???????
(Note: Excerpts from the Biography of Nikolai Tesla — Imagination and the man that invented 20th Century by Sean Patrick).
