
“In the Zone“, “In Flow“, in“the Element“… whatever you call it, working in your zone of genius feels like coming home. Your zone is the place you feel more alive, present and in your element.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
- Audio Article – Zone of Genius
- Zone of Genius
- Your Zone of Genius… by Whatever Name
- Even Dogs Have Purpose
- Genius and Purpose
- Purpose and Soul
- Zone In, not Zone Out
- Do What You’re Compelled to Do
- Create the Zone
- Follow the Breadcrumbs
- Awakening Genius Awakens Humanity
Your zone nurtures your soul, refreshes your spirit and rekindles your dreams.
If you are human, you have a calling: to live your genius.
Gay Hendricks, author, The Big Leap

AUDIO ARTICLE: ZONE OF GENIUS
ZONE OF GENIUS
Popularized by psychologist and author, Gay Hendricks in his bestselling book, The Big Leap, “zone of genius” is another term for purpose or passion.
In his landmark book, The Element, British author and speaker, Sir Ken Robinson calls it “your element”. Hungarian-American psychologist and author, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, [pronounced like ‘ME-highee Cheek-SENT-me-high] calls it “flow state”‘ in his book by that title.
We’ve all heard idioms like: “He took to it like a fish to water“, and the concepts of time disappearing when we’re in our element. That’s your zone of genius.
Your zone of genius is that place and space where you feel most alive with the passion of purpose.
~LeAura Alderson, Cofounder-iCreateDaily.com®

Common Terms for Zone of Genius
- Zone
- Genius
- Purpose
- Source
- Soul
- Passion
- Element
- Gift
- Flow
- Destiny
- Dreams
- Calling
By whatever name, the concept is the same.
Our destiny, is to realize and achieve our next level of growth, and in that process, grow lighter, brighter, wiser and stronger and—above all—to grow in love.
~LeAura Alderson, Cofounder-iCreateDaily.com®
Even Dogs Have Purpose
The concept of finding purpose is a common human driving force. Even animals are happier when they are engaged in purpose. There’s even a best selling book titled, A Dog’s Purpose, that gets inside the head of a dog and how it’s perpetually connected to purpose.
If you’ve ever seen a shepherd dog herding it’s flock, or a labrador retriever diving into a lake to retrieve, or a service dog, eager to serve, you know that truth. The sheer joy on the face of active, happy dogs is unmistakable.
Kids at play… dogs running… people dancing… Life is revealed in happy faces in motion.
We see that in our dogs. They think their purpose is to alert us to strangers, and get us up out of our chairs to walk and run with them.
Our dogs feel purposeful and in their element when we’re out walking, or when they’re exploring our yard and new places. When they’re just lying around listlessly, they actually get depressed. Like us, they thrive on movement, adventure, consistency and purpose.
A depressed dog is far more likely to act out, destroy things or develop obsessive behaviors. A dog is depressed when he is not active and with purpose. Humans too.
~LeAura Alderson, iCreateDaily.com®
Genius and Purpose
The flower’s purpose is to grow. That’s all it knows, and in growing, the bees and butterflies are served, humans are delighted and the soil is nurtured as the flower returns to the earth as fertilizer.
In fact… we could generalize it for all life on planet earth. The purpose of life on earth is to grow, and in growing, a greater good is also served. ☀️
The flower’s purpose is to grow. That’s all it knows, and in growing, its entire community is served.
Within the macro planetary purpose of growth, there are personalized nuances. Different plants thrive in different environments, climates and mediums. Same for humans. Like plants, we can likely survive in most environments, but we each have our optimal zones that help us thrive.
I love this flower analogy as expanded in this article on the A New Renaissance.
The purpose of all life on earth is to grow.
~LeAura Alderson, cofounder-iCreateDaily

Purpose and Soul
Where there is soul there is purpose. And… where there is purpose there is soul.
Soul and purpose are indelibly linked and so is your purpose and your zone of genius. These are just words with basically the same meaning.
To seek alignment with one is to discover the other.
This is why people aligned with purpose are so fired up, intense and alive with life. That’s also why those mired in negativity get stuck there.
When life isn’t growing, it’s stagnating, and stagnation is stasis… dull and life-less. There’s less life. That’s why it’s so important to surround yourself with positive people who will inspire you into your next spiral of growth… and to be that person for others.
But what is your zone of genius? Do you know it? If not, how can you discover it?
Your zone of genius, is the place where your purpose resides, and purpose brings power.
~LeAura Alderson, founder-iCreateDaily.com®

Zone In, not Zone Out
Your genius zone is that place where you enter the flow of infinite creativity and transcend time. Being in “The Zone” is very different from “zoning out”, such as when we’re lost in a movie or video game, or reading a novel, or scrolling mindlessly through social media. There’s a place for all of that, in balance, but zoning out is not the zone of genius.
Zoning out is what the “Zombie” syndrome is all about. It is a farcical and ugly make believe that mimics aspects of derailed and demented human consciousness.
Even if you happen to be fond of zombie fiction and films, you wouldn’t want them in your family or neighborhood. ?But when humanity begins to awaken, it is far, far from that. Far from ugly, far from scary.
Awakening consciousness results in a renaissance of light, beauty and wisdom. It’s interesting to contemplate how that phrase which is so similar could not be more disparate in meaning:
“In the zone.”
“Zoning out.”
The meanings here are qualified by one little word: “in” or “out”. “In” is clearly the place to be.
“Doing the work lays the foundation for more time in the zone. The zone won’t find you.”
~LeAura Alderson, cofounder-iCreateDaily.com®

Do What You’re Compelled to Do
You find your zone by doing the work. The inner work of pulling what is within you out into the world.
If the work you’re doing doesn’t feel like work that matters, then perhaps it doesn’t. Perhaps it isn’t the work of your soul. Perhaps where you are now is just a means to something better.
“He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.”
~Friedrich Nietzsche, German philosopher, poet, philologist, 1844-1900

Create the Zone
If you don’t yet feel connected to your zone of genius… to that which lights you up from the inside out, don’t worry. Discovering your genius is more often a process rather than a moment; an unfurling rather than a bursting; a journey, rather than an arrival.
The good news is there are definitely things you can do to nurture the budding aspiration to align with your purpose and discover your zone of genius.
“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”
~Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, 1802-1882
But here’s a truth: To be useful, honorable, and compassionate, is to make a difference, and in so doing, we are also naturally happy.

Hone in on Your Zone
Perhaps the reason this is so often overlooked is because hard work isn’t glamorous. Finding purpose so that you can craft a life around your zone of genius is not a quick fix kind of thing. Whether it’s building a business… a relationship… a painting… a novel or preparing a meal, it’s a persistent process revealed over time through consistent effort.
We use the ‘journey’ and trip metaphors a lot because that’s what life is: a journey from birth to death, and the living takes place in between.
Your life is the grand journey of a lifetime. Your goals, aspirations and work that you create in the world are micro journeys along the way.
Every start is a birth, and the process is a journey. When it comes to goals and aspirations, the “ending” is a way-point to the next destination. In order to arrive at your destination, you need to keep on going and steadily course correct as needed. It’s the same with living a life that’s increasingly ‘in the zone’.
“Life is a journey from birth to death, and the living takes place in between. So to enjoy life, you must learn to enjoy the journey, while keeping your sights on the horizon of your dreams.”
~LeAura Alderson, Cofounder-iCreateDaily.com®

Zoning Out for Rest and Recovery
We all need to “zone out” occasionally to allow our brains to rest. During rest is when the body heals itself and your mind sorts through and organizes its “desk”… the brain operating system.
Rest and zoning out help you to do more work in the zone, especially in the early stages of making your art your life and your living. But it’s important to keep it in perspective.
Zoning In for Focus and Productivity
I use the Toggl app to track my time. At first I didn’t think I needed it… that I’m good about being focused and on task, plus I’m not usually logging billable hours.
But when I finally gave it a go, I could see where the holes were… where I was losing time without being aware, and there are SO MANY HOLES in the fabric of today’s distractedness. So a time tracker is another super helpful accountability tool.
Just the act of pausing before deciding to toggle to an alternate task, especially one that’s not on your focus goals for the day, helps you to become more aware of how many diversions you’re taking, and it’s always more than you imagined. Time tracking makes us think twice before hopping off to that diversion.
Through productive creativity we hone into zoning in.
If you initiate the habit of productivity through setting and achieving goals, while remaining open to learning and growth along the way, your purpose will begin to reveal itself and you will discover your zone of genius.
Distractions are the devil to progress. Distractions waste time. Purpose transcends time.
~LeAura Alderson, cofounder-iCreateDaily.com

Follow the Breadcrumbs
If you’re not yet clear on your zone of genius… on what you love to do such that time and fatigue disappear, no worries; you can begin to cultivate it. Follow the crumbs that are clues that lead you deeper into discovering your zone of genius.
The more time you spend in your zone of genius, the more you are tapping into the deepest well of all… the fountainhead of inspiration, your soul.
Reflections on the Zone – Consider…
- Reflect on what lights you up.
- People tell you you’re so good at __________.
- What do you love to do such that time disappears?
Souls leave clues.
But if you’re still uncertain as to your zone of genius, this article on discovering purpose might help. But if you don’t yet have a clue as to your zone of genius, just keep moving toward the things and people that light you up and energize you, and away from those that don’t.
And remember, if you can’t yet do what you love, you absolutely can love what you do.
What if You Don’t Know Your Zone of Genius…?
- First, don’t worry, you will discover more over time as you head in the direction that you’re drawn to.
- Ask family and friends what they see as your greatest strengths; their insights will be signposts to heed along the way.
- Don’t force specificity. Chances are there are many possible expressions through which to express your genius, so focus on the core ideas of what you love.
Awakening consciousness is a sunrise in human form.
~LeAura Alderson, cofounder-iCreateDaily.com®

Awakening Genius Awakens Humanity
Finding your zone begins with awareness. And how do you develop greater awareness?
You increase your awareness by zoning in more than zoning out, and by creating more than consuming.
Living your dreams will illuminate your life with purpose. Working in your zone of genius, will elevate you, and your lighted heart will inspire others.
Awakening humanity will bring a renaissance of love, light, beauty and wisdom. The next Age of Enlightenment will further awaken human consciousness.
Like morning anywhere in the world, there are always those who are earlier risers, and those who come in late. But we all eventually wake up.
When human consciousness awakens, all surrounding life is elevated.
~LeAura Alderson, cofounder-iCreateDaily.com®

Sir Ken Robinson on Creators, Education and Flow State
One of our favorite TED Talks by Sir Ken Robinson on creativity and education.
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Hello! I’m LeAura, owner and co-creator of iCreateDaily.com®. As an autodidactic philosopher, generalist, personal development advocate, entrepreneur, writer, editor, author, ideator, media publisher, and podcaster, I’m passionate about helping others achieve their best possible life! Our small family of entrepreneurs, writers, investors, educators and creators own and run websites around topics we enjoy, such as gardening, health and fitness, creativity and pets, with more to come.
While my greatest teacher is Life… my formal training includes certifications in mediation, fitness, and strategic intervention coaching, including marriage and family. Today, the synergy of creating websites, articles and podcasts, brings together all my favorite things: family, learning, growth, creating, connecting and contributing. To share these with you is a privilege, that serves my lifelong aspiration to help others.
My personal areas of creativity are in writing, masterminding, ideation, synthesis and bringing ideas to life through business and entrepreneurship, all with a pervasive spiritual foundation with a focus on elevating the lives of others.
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