People drift in the illusion of stable routine, but they aren’t entirely aimless. We all have those pivotal moments that sling shot us off in some direction before we settle into drift. But these moments, for most people, are “accidents”, and thus they feel no sense of fulfillment. Geniuses learn to make those sling shot moments. Geniuses realize that they cause them and can shape them, so they seem amazingly inspired.
Another aspect of “genius” is they have all been noted for their “rituals.” They have activities that no one connects to their “great work”, but that they pursue with an all consuming passion. Most people don’t know that Einstein was a musician and boating enthusiast, but geniuses have more than passions. Some people have passions which for them are moments of powerful motivation, but they’re not really reflected on by these “passionate people.” These are the adrenaline junkies who feel the only way to live is “EXTREEM!”
These passions are often the place in which a lot of creative thinking occurs, or brain dulling injury. Even modern research into the brain shows that the especially creative and insightful have one thing in common, they make connections really well, so seem to have superior memories and gain inexplicable insights.
What else do the geniuses have? Geniuses have their rituals and favour them because they serve as windows into the bigger system of connections. They don’t have to be “EXTREEM!” A genius may have knitting as one of their window rituals. Many wise old grannies get struck with amazing insights, and if they are respected, make decisions for their family that allow amazing prosperity. And these are when they were just relaxing in a chair knitting, or just stirring something in a pot over the stove, or maybe gardening, but the ritual differs for each person.
This is the “chop wood and carry water” the Buddhists say we do before and after enlightenment? They’re talking about this ritual, yes, and the enlightened moments are what make a bodhisattva. The Buddha was what he was because he chose a life that gave him many window moments. This is the only reason why.
What is the difference between one of these rituals and just a drifting routine? The rituals free rather than take up space. Because the person sees connections, they can take guidance from their “window.”
Keeping the mind off the topic of consideration gets it out of the way so that the better work can proceed. I cannot find an inspirational line in a poem if I am thinking about the damn beans baking in the oven, so I take myself to an activity that does not trigger that. I need to be in the moment. Same with me.
A mind calming ritual is a card game, hearts. Over n over n over I play and the lines of the story and poem come to the fore. Yes. This is mostly the reason why people “read tarot” actually.
Routine is a door. Ritual is a window. For those who have a ritual that lets their mind free, then they will knowingly use the door. For those without the window, reality becomes a house of mirrors. Everything looks right, so they can’t have any specific insight nor guidance. For them, it’s all the same.
The house of mirrors are for those obsessed? This is why people get stuck in transitions. They are obsessed with one answer, so at every junction they just keep saying, “The left turn just has to be the correct one. I just know it!”
One can learn how to trigger the “aha” moments rather than waiting and lamenting when they don’t come. I see shades of this with poets who write stream of conscious thought without thought as to what they are saying. This is why people sometimes call me a poet. My words are just a stab at expressing my insights and feelings, but I don’t censor my words. I just “open my window.”
The difference between the well crafted poem and the stream of conscious work is the former found the “aha” moment in the work and then .. worked it. Oh yes, refinement can add quality to a crude and shallow insight. They don’t just arise from whole cloth, not usually.
Stream of conscious writing is repetitive to shut the mind off for a while. Then bam, there it is. The insight in a word or two, here or there. Shut the mind to open the eyes, or for me, narrow the perception to order the insight, but same thing really.
It is a way to focus without focusing, just close some of that chatter off? It is a way of admitting that you don’t have wisdom, wisdom has you.
We create our life the same way we create art or a poem? Exactly. Life doesn’t imitate art. Art imitates life, unless you are list in drift. Only then does life imitate art as you go for every commercial you see.
Your thoughts are welcome. Be well friends.
Travis Saunders
Dragon Intuitive
~science,mysticism,spirituality~