In my article “We have lost our sense of purpose in life,” I wrote that the greatest gift we can receive is the feeling that we were born with a mission and that our life has a purpose. But unfortunately, the confusion, instability, and narrow-mindedness of our times are feelings deeply embedded in the collective unconscious. They result from a lack of understanding of the importance of awakening to a personal mission.
In the ancient Roman Empire, the word genius was dedicated to the spirit of the person, the inner guide that protected and guided the individual through life and directed him towards his true mission. In the Middle East, this term is found in the word jinni, or spirit, which we know from the fairy tale of Aladdin’s lamp. Ancient people believed there was something beyond human intelligence, something more intelligent and wiser than humans. Ancient valued the spiritual world far more than it is today when the intellect rules the world.
In ancient communities, genius was recognized by the elders at the child at birth, which was of significant importance for the development of inborn gifts and the well-being of the whole community. Thus, the child could his/her mission and contribute to a better and safer life for the community. Can you imagine if a shaman had not been born as a healer and had not known how to help people? Or that a warrior would not be strong and fast enough to kill an animal or an enemy? Or that a chieftain would not be wise, open-hearted, and intuitive enough to guide and protect the community’s life? The tribe would die out.
Survival depended on early recognition, acceptance, and support of each individual’s talents. Something that in today’s society, we do not know, do not want or even reject.
Now is the time to dig deep, step into the inborn gifts, contribute to your community, and reach for the stars. Your decision will affect not only your life but the future of all humanity.
Intellect is not intelligence.
The importance of intellect began to snowball with the emergence of money, which accelerated the development of the material world. But, as it was recognized and experienced by ancient communities, giftedness became forgotten and even forbidden.
It is clear to all of us that a world that worships the intellect and its associated structures, including money and materialism, has enormous gaps and is unable (or unwilling) to cope with the challenges of humanity. The reason is straightforward. The intellect is just one dimension of the mind, which can only operate with given information: what we have read, heard, or studied…, i.e., information that is already known, our experiences, and our memories. The intellect will not be active if data and information do not exist. It is not the intellect’s job to create, invent, create, connect, find a new solution… It is a job to compare, analyze, divide, cut into smaller pieces, classify, discriminate, judge, control…
A swamp of already chewed ideas
Nowadays, we are wading in a vicious intellectual swamp of long-chewed thoughts and ideas. New inventions and creations are virtually non-existent. Only a few departed geniuses have grasped the existence of a world on a larger scale than we perceive in modern times. They understood that we humans are, in fact, the bearers of immense dormant potentials with which we have the potential to change ourselves and the world. Nikola Tesla, scientist and inventor said that his brain was just a receiver for something much more intelligent than him.
“My brain is just a receiver, it is the core of the universe from which we derive knowledge, power and inspiration. I have not yet penetrated the mystery of this core, but I know it exists.” – Nikola Tesla
Albert Einstein knew it too.
“Intellect has little to do with discovery. There is a leap in consciousness, an intuition, a solution comes, but you don’t know how or why.” – Albert Einstein
And also Leonardo da Vinci.
“With logic we prove, with intuition we discover.” – Leonardo da Vinci
Intellect is, therefore, not intelligence. It is the opposite. It is a tool of the human mind that helps us analyze and share. True giftedness brings new ideas, insights, art, and inventions and goes beyond the intellect. True giftedness is about connecting and combining in new, original ways.
It is the dormant potential that brings meaning to life.
Every one of us is gifted. Why? Because it is alive. As a therapist for gifted, I have witnessed many revelations of giftedness and the awakening of inner potential. Potentials that have remained buried deep in the subconscious due to overwhelming feelings of shame and fear. Giftedness is not just being great at math, music, quantum physics, or having a perfect memory. Giftedness combines several dimensions that we all need to be aware of: inherited gifts that can go back in generations, the potential of our inner spirit, genius, style of expression, intelligence, character, and the inner spark that draws us into new and new explorations, to the most crucial will from which we draw our perseverance and courage. The seeds of giftedness are constantly knocking at your door, waiting for you to wake up and live life to your mission’s complete, uniquely fulfilling destiny.
The world is in convulsion and does not seem to be letting up any time soon. In the turmoil, you feel around you and other people, it is essential to find your inner peace, connect with yourself, and allow your mission to come alive, for we are all called to awaken to our creativity and giftedness. When you courageously step on the path of your mission, your life will suddenly make sense. You will understand why you had to go through the torments and difficulties of the past. You will know that situations and events have shaped you so that you can persevere on the path of your mission, better equipped with experience and wisdom.
Do you also feel that something is being born in you lately and needs space and time to develop? Perhaps you also feel that there is a more profound truth hidden within you and that there is something more powerful, more sacred than everyday life? Now is the time to go deep within, step into the path of your giftedness that was given to you at birth, contribute to the community, and reach for the stars. Your decision will affect not only your life but the future of all humanity.