I hold my therapist, in very high regard, as a professional and more so for the person that she is. She rescued me from what could have been a mess of a life. So I owe her one too many!
I guess all clients feel connected with their therapists (presuming the therapist met the basic requirements of being one!). In psychology, this is called transference. This is (and was, for me) a very effortless process since my therapist is unconditionally accepting.
Even after my therapy days are over, I still feel that my therapist is a genius. Some have an innate talent and many like me, attempt to develop skills and understanding as they go through life. She is the former.
She has something of the likes of an unstated hero worship (you may have spotted that already by now) and it's probably well-deserved as she continues to transform lives.
As a twist in the tale, triggered by a comment, I began to wonder who is a genius?
Genius is not really about what a person can do but more of how a person can think. He is surely human enough, with his own flaws and quirks. But more than that, he is someone who, just by his way of being, inspires others to do more. And of course, his family members may have different perspectives and that's fair since personal relationships have different expectations from the individual.
That said and done, geniuses have some traits in common:
1. Not afraid of facing oneself: Whether it is their strengths or their weaknesses, they are willing to face them all. Cutting through layers of their defense mechanisms (read Freud for connection), they are ready to face and accept themselves for who they are.
2. Okayness: In the ancient Hindu scriptures is a brilliant word called, "sthithapragya" - the one who is the same during sorrows and joys, experiences them enough but doesn't get carried away with them. This, I personally believe, is an extremely remarkable trait for a human. As the ordinary men struggle in the web of feelings triggered by temporary events, the genius accepts all of it and is still okay with who he is or what life is.
3. Balance/Patience: A genius maintains a balance within himself, eventually of course. He knows to wait patiently for the lessons, for results, for life to take its turn. He gains his inner balance over time.
4. Depth: In my village, they guess the depth of water by its stillness. Still waters often run deep, they say. Most people are afraid of experiencing depth and intensity. As you go deeper within yourself, relationships and life, the journey seems to pose more serious challenges. But going through the layers to finally find yourself (can be done by everyone but..) is done by genuises.
5. Faith: The two words written beside Sai Baba's statue are ling forgotten by devotees - Shraddha (Faith) and Saburi (Patience). One of the traits of a genius is having faith at all times. I am sure when they faced times when their faith was shaken too. But I guess overall, they have faith in God, life and themselves.
6. Commitment: We all have experienced situations in life where our values are put to test and sometimes we second-guess ourselves. Not much can sway them from the course that they have diacovered for themselves. A genius is committed to his values and purpose. Be it any field, a genius strives to do his best in it, with what he has.
And the best part, humility! For someone prudish like me, humility is one of the toughest lessons in my life. They don't make big claims about who they are or how smart they are, as compared to others. A genius is humble (since he knows himself very well).
Apart from them being highly-skilled, there are finer aspects of their being that are hard to put in to words, only to be experienced by someone who has observed them closely.
This applies to geniuses across time, across fields, across nationalities. Geniuses are extraordinary in the sense of being a cut above so many ordinary people, who choose to live their lives in the "safest possible" way.
Here's a big thanks to all the geniuses, who have made a difference to the world!
Want to join the league of geniuses? Start your journey today!
