Genius or Crazy?

I know I've discussed taking risks before, but I believe the topic should be revisited on a frequent basis. Why? Because if you want amazing things to happen, you have to take risks. Willingly. I try to do scary things often. And by scary, I mean the kind of risk that makes the butterflies in your stomach go nuts, your hands shake and your heart beat faster. You might even feel nauseated from the combination of nerves, fear and excitement.

There's a fine line between genius and crazy.

The genius of taking a risk is this--you stand to benefit in ways you can only imagine. The crazy part? You can also lose big. Personally, I'm okay with crazy. I once had an elderly man I'd never met before walk up to me and say, "You're not normal, are you?"

What, do I have a crazy beacon? Wait...don't answer that.

On most days, I'd take exception to a comment like that. For some reason, on that strange day, it was one of the greatest compliments I'd ever received. You want to know why? This gentleman was a writer. A poet, actually. He sensed the creative spirit in me (what some might call the "crazy"). I don't remember the man's name. I only remember the impact he had on me. He inspired me to start writing again.

And let's face it--I'm not normal. I work hard not to be. Normal is fine if you're looking for a boring, pale and safe life. Yes, I put boring and safe in the same category. I'd rather experience every crazy thing life has to offer in bold, brilliant detail. Safety be damned.

Many of us have heard of historical figures like Thomas Edison, Rosa Parks, Henry Ford, Joan of Arc and Ben Franklin, but did you know that before they were considered geniuses (accidental or intentional), they were first called crazy? They dared to step out of the box and take a risk. They dared to fail. In the end, it paid off. They each changed history. Genius or crazy?

Don't get me wrong, I don't put myself in their category. Yet. *wiggles eyebrows* My point is, they led by example. You can't dispute their genius, their nerve or their success. I would much rather be a crazy genius, then a normal dud.  How about you?

Jess