Day 47 Juice Feast -- The Wound and the Gift (Michael Meade)

On day 11 I attended a workshop given by Michael Meade on Finding Genius in Your Life. On day 40 I reflected on a big part of why many of us are not in touch with our inner genius. In this post I want to share my reflections on Meade's wisdom on finding our inner genius.

Meade too believes everyone is a genius; that genius is the spirit that is already in you. It's a unique way of perceiving life. He also believes each soul has never been formed as it is now nor will it ever occur again.

What is your genius? Meade says it can be retroactively found by taking a jaunt back in history: around the ages 9-11 our genius first rises, the genius then rests until it resurfaces around the ages 14-16. It's usually not what your family wants for you and it is often what you got in trouble for as a child. Yet your genius insists on presenting itself.

On the other side of this coin is the wound. Deep within the wound is the genius and the genius will keep you alive during times of hardship. This is another way to approach your inner genius--through the wound. What have you done to get yourself out of tough situations? Be advised the more you give of your gift the more wounds you invite unto yourself. You must learn to heal yourself, heal some more and heal again. However in cases of genius we really have no other choice. As Meade says--if you don't get your talent out, it will weigh you down.

How do you sustain your genius and get closer to your gifts in a troubled, negative world? Meade recommends regular creative and spiritual practices to hold and broaden your genius space. This will give your genius some breathing room. This workshop was fantastic but above all I am fascinated by Meade's definition of a meaningful life: "You see things so differently you can't help but help others."