RS1 How to be a Genius

   David Dobbs wrote an article called How To Be a Genius: It really is 99 percent sweat, to prove to people that you’re average Joe can become just as talented as someone born with a special talent. His article states that being a genius takes time and effort, he talks about what characteristics will help you rise above the others in your field, and why hard work can either make or break you.

   Dobbs clearly states throughout the article that to become a genius you have to put in the time and effort, blood, sweat and tears.  Nothing in life comes easy, especially to become masterful at something.  Dobbs claims being a genius is not something you are born with, its something that is developed through time.  In his article Dobbs states that "scholars of elite performance to speak of a 10-year rule: it seems you have to put in at least a decade of focused work to master something and bring greatness within reach."  Just use Tiger Woods as an example, he was born with a talent to golf but he did not get where he is today without hard work and practice.  Tiger was recognized as a premier golfer at a very young age and continued to impress with his progressively increasing talent. Even today after all he went through with his ex wife, he has pushed through and is still an elite golfer with tremendous work ethic that will carry him to many more championships.  To develop such talents you need to hold certain traits that can aid you to your success.

   To become an elite in your field of expertise you need other characteristics to help aid in the development of your field so you can rise above the others.  The obvious answer is hard work.  Without the effort you put in you would get nowhere. You need to be dedicated to pursuing your goals. Set the bar high and do not give up when you are put down, strive on through.  Another characteristic you may need is to become a good listener; reason being is because to learn everything you need to know on your way to the top is to get mentors.  The example Dobbs uses is "music students that attended New Yorks elite Julliard School compared to those who attended other schools.  The students who attended Julliard received one on one relationships with mentors who prepared them for challenges they would face after their studies ended." The other students who attended other schools lacked the one on one attention from mentors and faded off the map because they never were taught to deal with challenges they were to face after school. This clearly shows me that to get to the top you have to allow the people around you to teach you things that they have learned through their years of practice. Hard work requires a lot mentally and physically and can can make or break you.

    Hard work can encourage you or it can overwhelm you. To Bill Gates, Tiger Woods, Babe Ruth and The Beatles hard work encouraged them to keep going and become the best they could be at their personal fields.  They never gave up and when they found themselves stuck in an obstacle they would push through and persevere. All of the people I listed above are where they are now because they took their talents and pushed themselves to the limit. They never quit and they pushed themselves because they knew with their hard work they would be at the top of their game.  Unfortunately for some hard work overwhelmed them and caused them to fall off. They may have had the talent to become something but they did not have what it took to put it to good use.  A perfect example for this would be the 2012 Boston Red Sox.  If you look at the team on paper they have a very talented team and if you look at their record they look as if they are a very below average team.  The team has talent but they aren’t putting in the hard work needed to become the team they should be.  An example is the Red Sox pitching staff last year; they were eating chicken and drinking beer in the clubhouse.  They did not treat themselves well enough to perform to the fullest.  In life it comes down to who wants it and who doesn’t.

   Becoming a Genius takes a lot out of you, but it is rewarding in the end.  You need to be willing to do whatever it takes to perform at your absolute best.  Dobbs gave us characteristics that you need to aid yourself in rising to the top, he proved that hard work can either encourage you or overwhelm you, and he stated that being a genius takes time and effort.