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The Genius Within

June 22, 2025

You are a genius! 
As you may know, I lead a non-profit in Merced called LifeLine CDC. We aim to empower under- resourced neighborhoods to thrive by focusing on what is already strong in a neighborhood, rather than what is wrong. 
Recently, we partnered with United Way and the Alliance for Health to expand our work. Part of our training and learning included an assessment by the Table Group, based on Patrick Lencioni's work. I must admit that I am often skeptical of evaluations, as much depends on my mood, the conversations I've had recently, and the pressures of the day. This one was different, it was not looking at all my weaknesses, but determined my 'genius', the area where I naturally excel, it celebrated that! Yes, it provides recommendations on who I need around me to be the best version of myself, what combination of my board should be most effective, and how my staff functions best. BUT, it came from the point of strength, and I valued that very much. How often do we look at what is wrong with a person? The second grader who cannot sit still and disrupts the classroom. The teen who doesn't seem to care. The adult who does not give their best or lives on welfare. The person who was incarcerated and couldn't adjust to life outside. The elderly who are becoming a 'burden' because they can't do it alone any longer. Every person can be seen as a burden to society, or we can help them rewrite their stories and gain a better understanding of them and ourselves. The child who might be neurodivergent can solve math problems in their head and gets bored easily – maybe they will solve a major environmental crisis because they think outside the box. The teen who sees the struggles of their parents and tries to find a better way for himself. The adult, who experienced so much trauma that holding a job can be difficult, but being the best mom and neighbor comes naturally, because she does not want her daughter to experience the same trauma she did. Or the elderly, who have stories to tell, histories to write, maybe having worked at NASA or served in the Military, or helped make America great after the Second World War. 
Each one of us is a Genius! We just need to take the time to meet people where they are, get to know them, hear their stories, and discover what genius is inside of them. We may need to even dig into our own lives to find our genius. 

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