#340 – What's keeping you from your genius?

From competence to genius: the life-changing leap

You may be extremely competent at many things. Even excellent. But there's a difference between competence and genius. And unless you cross that line, you'll be stuck.

My friend GV was stuck in that zone of competence. Indispensable for her employer, yet bored, sad. Antsy.

Every time she thought of leaving her unfulfilling job, part of her came up with reasons not to: but you're so good at it. But they've treated you so well here. But what if you don't find anything that pays you that much?

She's not alone in that experience. I was there too, once.

I was "the best" voice teacher in Madrid (according to my students and clients). It was fun: I shined, I learned... until I didn't.

But, like GV, every time I thought of shutting down the business and committing to writing, the drama in my head became unbearable. Then, I lowered my head and agreed to keep the dissatisfaction alive.

I quit once, and told everybody: "even if I starve, the only thing I want to do is write."

And I did: I wrote a novel. Then, The Ghost of Misplaced Shame spent its days poking me––who do you think you are? A writer? You? Ha!

The bullying was so persistent, that I had no choice: I sold my two apartments in Madrid, my car, and my piano, and immigrated to the US (without, of course, publishing the novel). Anything to avoid facing the bully.

But it wasn't the bully that I was avoiding: it was my zone of genius.

Yes, your Ego and the Ghosts will make scary claims about that risky-for-them zone. But that's because they know that, once you enter, you'll stop being agreeable to them––and they fear losing their jobs.

What box of competence will you leave to enter your zone of genius?

Love,

Carolina