I don’t mean I don’t like Elizabeth Gilbert. I do admire her. I love her work. but she seems to have a hard time with her brilliance.  During her TED talk, she suggests that we embrace an ancient concept that the genius lives outside of us. She creates a beautiful metaphor and suggests that if we view our brilliance as something we can’t quite control, then maybe, just maybe it won’t continue to drive artists mad.  Like a little creature that flies in some time and isn’t present other times, we don’t have a lot of say in the matter.  She hopes that if we embrace this ancient concept, then maybe artists won’t continue to die or kill ourselves (see, I now admit I am an artist, I said “ourselves” not “themselves”…).

But that negates who we are really. If we are on a spiritual path, most likely we have heard the message that we are God, we are Buddha, we are spirit, we are pure energy. We are spiritual beings having a human experience—to use a somewhat tired phrase. Who we are is that – and most of the time we forget. Or we may even not know. Yet, if some of us are that, all of us are that. So who we really are is vast potential, unlimited energy, love, creativity. We simply block it by our crap. Our issues, our belief systems, our doubts, fears and judgments.

Why not celebrate our brilliance? Our light? Our talent? There is a difference between celebrating it and being identified with it.  There is a difference between being an ego maniac and knowing who we really are.