You know why we love artists, musicians, actors, and innovators?

It’s not just because they’re talented.

It’s because they discovered their gift—and honored it. Even when it was hard. Even when the path was uncertain. Even when everyone around them said “get a real job.”

We sit in concerts, watch performances, witness innovation, and for that moment, that evening, that show, we suspend our own self-doubt and consider what it would be like to live a less certain, less safe life.

We respect them for taking a chance on themselves.

And we silently wonder: Who told them they could do that?

Meanwhile, we won’t even give ourselves permission to do the most mundane things.

We won’t start the blog. We won’t share our art. We won’t speak up in the meeting. We won’t pursue the dream that keeps us up at night.

Why?

Because somewhere along the way, we stopped believing in our own genius.

You Were Born With Genius Capacity

Here’s something that will blow your mind:

Researchers at Harvard conducted a ten-year study on genius. Not genius as in “high IQ” or “child prodigy.” They defined genius as the capacity to take in information through multiple modalities, synthesize it, and use it to create something new.

People with genius capacity bring forth transformational ideas. They see connections others miss. They create art that moves us. They innovate in ways that change how we live.

And here’s what the researchers discovered:

99% of babies operate at genius capacity during the first eighteen months of life.

That means you. That means me. That means virtually every single one of us started out as a genius.

We were curious about everything. We tried everything. We had no fear of looking stupid. We experimented. We created. We synthesized information from every angle—sight, sound, touch, taste, intuition, movement.

We were fully alive in our genius.

But by age five, only 22% of us were still operating at genius capacity.

By twenty? Only 2%.

Let that sink in.

We don’t lose our genius because we’re not smart enough. We lose it because we learn to shut it down.

What Happens to Our Genius?

The researchers found that the decline in genius capacity happens through one specific thing:

The learned voice of internal judgment.

We start to doubt ourselves.
We question our ideas before we even try them.
We look into other people’s eyes for approval, for permission, for validation of who we are.

We hear: “That’s not realistic.”
“Who do you think you are?”
“Stay in your lane.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Get a real job.”

And slowly, we stop trusting our own knowing. We stop experimenting. We stop creating. We start coloring inside the lines.

We trade genius for safety. Possibility for approval. Innovation for fitting in.

And then we sit in the audience watching someone else live their genius, wondering why we can’t give ourselves permission to do the same thing.

The Permission You’re Waiting For? It Doesn’t Exist.

Here’s what I need you to understand:

No one is going to give you permission to honor your genius.

No one told the artist they could paint. No one told the musician they could compose. No one told the innovator they could revolutionize an industry.

They gave themselves permission.

They reconnected with that genius capacity they had as a baby—the one that wasn’t afraid to try, to fail, to create, to experiment.

And you can do the same thing.

You don’t need anyone’s approval. You don’t need validation. You don’t need to wait until you’re “ready” or “good enough” or “qualified.”

You just need to stop listening to the voice of judgment and start listening to your genius again.

Your Genius Is Still There

I know what you’re thinking: “But Lori, I’m not a genius. I’m just…”

Stop.

That right there? That’s the voice of judgment.

Your genius didn’t disappear. It’s still in you. It just got buried under years of:

• Doing what you’re “supposed” to do
• Seeking approval from others
• Playing it safe
• Staying in your lane
• Not rocking the boat
• Avoiding looking stupid

But here’s the thing about genius: It doesn’t go away. It just goes quiet.

And it’s waiting for you to give it permission to speak again.

How to Reconnect With Your Genius

You don’t need a ten-year study or a Harvard degree to reclaim your genius capacity. You just need to start doing what you did as a baby:

1. Get curious again.

Stop asking “Can I?” and start asking “What if?”

What if you tried that thing you’ve been thinking about?
What if you shared your idea?
What if you created something just for the joy of creating?

Genius thrives on curiosity. Judgment kills it.

2. Take in information from multiple angles.

Your genius isn’t just intellectual. It’s visual. Kinesthetic. Intuitive. Emotional.

Stop trying to figure everything out in your head. Move your body. Create with your hands. Listen to your gut. Pay attention to what you feel, not just what you think.

3. Stop waiting for permission.

No one is going to tell you you’re allowed to honor your genius. You have to decide that for yourself.

Right now. Today. This moment.

4. Let yourself experiment.

Babies don’t worry about failing. They try things. They fall down. They try again.

Your genius needs the same freedom. Give yourself permission to experiment, to be a beginner, to create something imperfect.

5. Stop looking for approval in other people’s eyes.

The moment you start creating to impress others or avoid criticism, you shut down your genius.

Create for YOU. Innovate for YOU. Honor your genius for YOU.

The right people will get it. The wrong people never will. And that’s okay.

The World Needs Your Genius

Here’s what breaks my heart:

The world is full of people sitting on genius ideas, creative gifts, transformational visions—and they’re never sharing them because they’re waiting for permission.

But sis, we need what you have.

We need your unique perspective. We need your ideas. We need your creativity. We need your innovation.

Not a watered-down, playing-it-safe version. We need your full genius.

The thing you’re afraid to try? The idea you’re too scared to share? Is the dream you think too big, too weird, or too much?

That’s your genius trying to emerge.

And the world needs it.

Your Work This Week

Stop reading and DO this:

1. Identify one place where you’re dimming your genius.

Where are you playing small? Where are you seeking approval instead of trusting yourself? Where are you staying quiet when your genius wants to speak?

2. Give yourself permission.

Write this down: “I give myself permission to honor my genius, even if no one else gets it.”

Say it out loud. Mean it.

3. Take one small action from your genius.

Not from obligation. Not from “should.” From that place in you that knows what you’re capable of creating.

Share the idea. Start the project. Try the thing. Create something.

Just one small step from your genius capacity.

Because sis, you were born a genius.

The only question is: Are you ready to reclaim it?

Ready to reconnect with your genius and stop playing small? Listen to the Unlock Your Life podcast, I hope it get your juices flowing

P.S. Want support in discovering and building your dreams?

In between my coaching and speaking schedule, I carve out a few strategy sessions each month. If you would like a complimentary strategy session (Value = $250), click here.