This article is an excerpt from Elder Reggie Kee’s recently released book: Common Genius, Uncommon Destiny: Unlocking the Genius within You; available for purchase at https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/InkWellSpoken (physical flipbook) and www.amazon.com (e-book).
Genius, as redefined in this book, is readily accessible to anyone as a non-academic attribute based on a combination of one’s PASSION, TALENT and PURPOSE. Our purpose (or destiny) in life is to identify our God-given talent and apply it to our passion which is directly tied to what each of us was meant to fix in a world full of brokenness.
For the last two months, our articles have delved into understanding how each of us has a specific genius based upon our individual PASSION and TALENT. Your unique genius positions you to address something that’s broken in the world. This month, we’ll end the series by exploring the third and final component of what we’ve coined “the GENIUS equation”: PURPOSE.
GENIUS = PASSION(pa) + TALENT(t) + PURPOSE(pu)
“…As it relates to the genius equation, my revelation of purpose for your life is simple. To put it mathematically, your purpose (pu) is a function of your passion (pa) and talent (t):
As y = f(x), pu = f(pa,t)
I know I just scared some of you, so let me rephrase this! Your purpose is defined by your ability to identify and apply a talent you have to your passion. Recalling that your passion relates to something broken in the world that grieves your heart while your talent is the tool you’ve been given to fix it, your purpose evolves into what you were put on this earth to do. This is otherwise known as your destiny. You need to understand this: you are destined to be a genius. From the moment you were created, you were meant to change the world in a way that only you can. Some may think that such change only matters when it’s significant and recognized by others, but this is yet another untruth. Let’s explore this with an example, shall we?
Example: This book was published in 2018 – the year of the Black Panther. This movie, based on a character that was developed during the 1960s, came out and became a cultural phenomenon overnight. Despite its known origin – written as a comic book character by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and directed as a movie by Ryan Coogler – the seed for Black Panther was actually planted in the 1940s by Orrin Evans. Orrin Evans was a journalist who wanted to create positive images of African-Americans in the media – specifically, in the comics. He took his talent for writing, applied it to his passion for eliminating minstrel stereotypes of Black people and started All-Negro Comics in 1947. His panels were rich with characters showcasing their African heritage in roles that were not relegated to sidekick caricatures and buffoonery.
His name and comic books have been obscured in the annals of time as his idea was met with more resistance than fanfare. Though he’s not even mentioned during Black History Month, his impact influenced what has gone on to become an international, billion-dollar blockbuster…
…The most important thing to realize about this equation is that, not unlike every instantiation of mathematics known to man, you have to learn from your mistakes. Doing so familiarizes yourself with the equations and variables which position you to eventually get the right result if you don’t give up. In layman’s terms, genius is all about trial and error, folks! Every mistake you make in navigating this equation is simply a future opportunity to teach yourself how to get it right. If you give up after the first few attempts, you will never know the satisfaction of discovering the right answer…
…So if you’ve gone through life without realizing your genius as it relates to your passion, talent and purpose, don’t sweat it. One of life’s greatest abilities is flexibility. Just reassess and fail forward. That’s called growing up. As I grew into my thirties and discovered my genius, I simply had to put away childish things:
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. – 1 Corinthians 13:11
…The very essence of the book is to help you identify who you are by changing the way you think of yourself. After all, the Word of God says in Proverbs 23:7 that as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he…
…The true mark of a genius – someone endowed with the mind of Christ – is one who is not afraid to try something and get it wrong because they realize that failures get us one step closer to unlocking something truly righteous and amazing that was part of God’s plan when He formed you before the foundation of the world. Join us. Join the genius generation. Otherwise, you may find yourself getting good at a career you were never meant to have.”
Reggie and Quiana Kee have known each other for over 20 years and were married in 2004. They were licensed to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ in 2015 at the Kingdom Advancement Center in Elgin, Ill., where they currently reside. They have two children and are the co-founders of Ink Well Spoken and Manu Forti Ministries, which serve as the marketplace and faith-based programs for their motivational speaking initiatives.
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