23. Accelerated Learning; The Product of Genius

All students exhibit genius. Sometimes it is for academic learning, sometimes for artistic expression (theater, dance, music, drawing, painting, printmaking, design, sculpture, photography, animation, poetry or prose); sometimes it is as a green thumb (gardening, farming) or a green heart (an ability to relate to plants, animals, people, or stars); sometimes it exhibits as architectural or building talent; or an understanding of machines; sometimes it appears as charisma or a leadership ability; sometimes as selflessness and service; sometimes as the ability to question or philosophize or make people laugh; sometimes it’s shows itself as great integrity; sometimes as visions of what may be.

Collectively our job at NEI is to discover genius in every person and to help them realize its existence within self. Everyone needs first to discover a single genius within so that she or he will, in the end, discover many talents. We must first have the monumental experience of realizing we are what we are (a genius in some respect) before we dare create a larger, greater image of who we want to be. Once we cross the threshold from the actual to the possibility, we have attained a new understanding of out God-given power, the power to become in many respects who we want to be.

Self-image is everything. Our I AM concept determines the quality and landscape of our existence. What I cannot accept and affirm as true of myself, cannot enter my experience. My identity, therefore, is my great limiting factor OR my great creative factor; identity defines what we can and cannot be. I may yearn to be more than I am, but I must first change my self-image to allow my dreams to be fulfilled.

Accelerated Learning is not based on cramming more information in someone’s head. It is about expanding our self-image so that we are released to create according to our deepest longings.

Accelerated learning is about changing the game of life so that we experience (instead of frustration, disappointment, and shame) greater possibility. Learning becomes easier as we become authentically motivated to realize and to manifest our vision. As who we are expands, our undeniable accomplishments unfold and potential is realized. Part of the consequences of an augmented self-image are educational accomplishments; the rest relate to the quality of life we experience.

In a school setting with an accepted will to do so, self-images expand and Accelerated Learning simply happens naturally. Yet it is the most powerful and most transformative thing we can do.