Sitting across from me was a confused young man. At the ripe age of 21, he didn't know what he was supposed to do with his career. He'd tried to make his way in a trade he wasn't good at and wasn't passionate about, and it was clear to him it wasn't the answer.
That's when I remembered an old saying a mentor had told me.
"Everyone can be a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its life thinking it's stupid. Same thing with a bird. If you judge a bird by its ability to swim, it will think it's stupid. If you're a fish, go swim. If you're a bird, go fly."
The truth is, too many people misjudge their own genius because they judge themselves as a fish trying to fly or a bird trying to swim. Part of everyone's job is to figure out where their genius actually lives.
So I coached the young man to think of his genius at the intersection of three circles.
What you're passionate about.
What you're good at.
What the market needs.
When you live and work at the intersection of those three circles, life goes by fast, because you're finally doing what you were meant to do. The truth is, many of the people you work with aren’t in their zone of genius. You might not even be in your zone of genius either.
The only question now is, will you take the time to find your zone of genius, and put in the work long enough to make it real?
If you're a fish, go swim. If you're a bird, go fly.
P.S. The Optimistic Outlook is a Podcast! Leaving a rating or review wherever you listen to podcasts would mean a lot.
Use Your Gifts,
John Eades
Creator, The Leadership Lens & The Optimistic Outlook