“If I have a thousand ideas and only one turns out to be good, I am satisfied.”

– Alfred Bernhard Nobel

This strikes me as the definition of genius — to have a thousand ideas and have one of them turn out to be good.  The important thing is to keep on thinking and keep on pursuing what you believe is good and right.  I believe that each of us carries genius within us.  All we need to do is connect our brain with our heart and our spirit and continue to find new ways to express what is good and true.

It is easy to fall into a pattern of re-trying the same old ideas again and again.  Our lives can become like the shampoo bottle instructions — “Lather, Rinse, Repeat.”  For some reason it feels safer to repeat the same old actions that haven’t worked a hundred times before than to step beyond our past failure and frustration into the unknown.  We, as humans, are afraid of the unknown.  The ironic thing is that most of the pivotal moments in our lives occur when we venture there.  We must remember each day that although there may be some frightening things in the unexplored parts of our world and ourselves, there are wonderful and miraculous things there, too.

Think of all the thoughts and initiatives and discoveries that you label as “genius.”  Then tear down your own barriers and dare to step beyond the limits of your safety — the limitations of “lather, rinse, repeat.”  Remember that not every good idea needs to succeed.  Not every seed you plant will germinate and grow.  Be satisfied that you are thinking — that you are planting.  Each of us is born with the potential for genius, and the most important ingredient in genius is the courage to persevere until we discover something that brings good to our world.

Alfred Bernhard Nobel also said:

“I intend to leave after my death a large fund for the promotion of the peace idea, but I am skeptical as to its result.”

He was skeptical, but we all know about the Nobel Prize for Peace.  We must not judge our ideas as good or bad so long as they are true and right.  We may not be around to see whether they turn out well or not, but we must trust that each contribution has the potential for growth.  We are enjoying the results of Nobel’s vision.  Perhaps there will be people, unknown to us, who will reap our harvest as well.