It's 2AM
It’s 2 AM.
My room is pitch black and I stare up at the ceiling hoping for some divine answer to strike me.
Maybe my stroke of genius will arrive tonight?
I’ve always had trouble falling asleep— it’s a curse and a blessing.
It’s a blessing because night-time is when the muse often visits me. It’s a curse because I lay waiting hoping for something life-changing to happen.
That’s why I always keep a journal next to me, just in case I receive the latest winning lottery numbers. 😏
Butttt tonight I get the usual suspects.
Blog ideas, lost passions, forgotten dreams…
A sudden flash-back of a time I embarrassed myself in front of the entire 1st grade class.
Funny how a moment nearly 20 years ago can come flashing back so vividly.
Mrs. N was running a group discussion on love and had us sit on the ground in front of her while we brainstormed answers.
She pulled out a giant white board, placed it on an easel, and starting jotting down the replies.
“Alright class, what do two people in love do?”
One kid shouts, “Marry!”
“Good answer! People in love marry.”
Another exclaims, “Kiss!”
“Yes that’s another way to show love. Does anyone else have a better answer?”
Now is the time to prove myself.
This is my moment of truth.
I puff out my chest…
I raise my hand towards the sky…
And at the top of my lungs I yell…
“SEEEEEX!!!” before anyone else could beat me to it.
It was so silent you could hear a pin drop in the room.
One of the kids even let out an audible *gasp*. 😲
I guess it wasn’t the correct answer because I left school that day with a conduct mark, a call to my parents, and a stern lecture.
I explained to Mrs. N that SEX is what happens when James Bond wants to show a girl he loves her— It’s like hugging, but in bed! (or so I thought)
Unfortunately, she didn’t agree with me.
That was the first moment in my life I realized there are always 3 answers to every question.
The wrong answer.
The right answer.
And your answer.
Or simply put…
There’s the answer that society expects from you, and the answer that you come up with.
When you go your own way you’ll be met with:
Friction
Resistance
Opposition
I call this the pathway to your zone of genius.
Your zone of genius is a place where you feel most natural, where the answers come the easiest, and where you feel creatively unhindered.
Others call it a ikigai, being in the flow, becoming the niche… it’s all the same thing in the end.
But here’s the catch…
When you start getting closer to your zone of genius you’ll face more and more resistance.
It happens all the time online.
Have you ever tried finding your niche and heard advice like:
“Niche down!”
“Don’t niche and box yourself in!”
“It’s not niching it’s uncovering!”
“Don’t find a niche, find a mode!”
“The riches are in the niches!”
“Be multi-passionate instead!”
Sometimes it feels like the universe is testing you— and it can be overwhelming.
But I’ll let you in on a little secret…
Your zone of genius is much closer to you than you think.
Who knows?
The answer may show up in your dreams.
Til’ next week,
Brian “Genius” To
P.S. I’m launching the ChatGPT Guide for Writers by the end of the month. Click the button if you want to be the first to know!
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