Quick Summary
In the western world, we are often looking outside of ourselves to find ourselves but Michael suggests the answer to our true identity, our genius lies within us... it has always been there. The question is 'How do we awaken it and live our true purpose in life?'
Some key statements
It's always an upstream swim to become a real person but in a mass culture, you're swimming against ocean waves.
The genius is the source of our true identity and if it is ignored or remains unrecognised, it becomes the source of our real identity issues. The identity we are trying to find is hidden within us.
The east says the knowledge you are looking for is inside, and the west says it's outside. In the west, they are constantly trying to sell us something to make us somebody we are not. In the east, the function of meditation and reflection is to find the genius within.
The opportunity is to risk becoming oneself.
Awaken to the role we came to live. That awakening involves the recognition of the genius - talents, gifts, style and the unique qualities and vision that we bring to the world.
At the end of life, the question is 'Did you become yourself?' Not did you play by the rules, not did you get straight A's, not did you get a scholarship...
The self that we are to become is seated within us from the beginning and the word for it is genius.
Everybody has won the lottery in the sense that everyone already has this genius inside. The question is 'can we awaken it and learn to live with it?'
There are periods in life where you want to be like everyone else. Something in there starts to turn when you think 'Who am I really?' and that's a question about the genius.
Did you become a really interesting character that no one can forget? In such a unique way that when we go everyone notices something is missing.