You can spend your time thinking about the things you can control or the things you can’t. Stanford-trained psychologist Gay Hendricks writes that the way to be happy is to let go of the things you can’t control and instead devote your time and energy to things you can change.
Hendricks recommends living your life in what he calls the “Genius Zone,” where you’re expressing your “genius” by doing the things you love to do, speaking honestly and listening mindfully in your relationships, and committing (and recommitting) yourself to expressing your creativity every day. Spending your time in the Genius Zone enables you to live a fulfilling life, one where you’re engaged in the ongoing process of pursuing your creative potential and cultivating joy in your everyday routines.
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To understand how you can feel happier and more fulfilled by living your life in the Genius Zone, you first have to understand what the Genius Zone is, why it’s special, and how you might recognize it in your life.
Hendricks uses the term “Genius Zone” to refer to the mind-body space that you enter when two conditions are met: You’re doing what you love to do, and you’re using your skills to make a positive impact in the world—in other words, it’s the space where you can access your “genius.”
Hendricks writes that when you engage with tasks in your Genius Zone, you devote a deeper level of attention to them, a kind of attention that’s different from what you exercise even when you’re engaged in activities you’re really good at. You’re also able to freely access and express your creativity, pursue your creative potential, and find a new level of fulfillment and joy in your life.
How Does the Genius Zone Compare to Flow?
Many books on happiness note that focusing on the things you can control and tapping into your creativity can make you feel more fulfilled. In The Big Leap, Hendricks explains...
Now that we know what the Genius Zone is, we’ll explore why devoting your time and attention to the tasks in this zone will help you feel more satisfied in your everyday life.
In Hendricks’s view, striving to live in the Genius Zone offers a more fulfilling alternative to what might be your status quo: going through your daily life doing work that doesn’t fulfill you, criticizing yourself for things you have or haven’t done, worrying about things you can’t change, and wishing that you could control what other people do or what they think of you. He writes that you’ll become happier by stepping outside of these negative thought patterns and replacing them with efforts to spend your time and energy in the Genius Zone instead.
How Reducing Negative Thoughts Improves Your Life
Just as Hendricks writes that reducing negative thoughts can help you live a happier life, other experts say that replacing negative thoughts with positive ones can reduce stress and improve your health, both of which could make you feel happier. Researchers find that people who [practice positive...
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Living in the Genius Zone requires practice with consciously choosing how to allocate your time and attention. It also involves a process of committing and recommitting to your goals, and gently correcting course when you realize that you’ve strayed. Hendricks explains that instead of chasing perfection and considering success an all-or-nothing endeavor, you can realize that it’s inevitable to make mistakes. When you slip up, take concrete steps to get back on track instead of criticizing yourself.
(Shortform note: Expert advice abounds on how you can push back against perfectionism. In The Gifts of Imperfection, Brené Brown writes that you can treat yourself with compassion and accept your imperfections and mistakes, rather than punishing yourself for them. One way to do this is to practice positive self-talk: Actively encourage yourself as you face your challenges rather than criticizing yourself for your flaws or shortcomings.)
Hendricks outlines a variety of methods and tools to access the Genius Zone, pursue...
Hendricks writes that your genius is about the way you do the things you love and the attention that you devote to them, and that true creativity involves serving yourself and others with your creative gifts.
First, think about one creative task that you find exceptionally fulfilling. Maybe it’s a task where you become deeply absorbed in what you’re doing, something you’re very skilled at, or something that doesn’t feel like work to you. Write your task below.
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