Thinking while in the shower
Just two things:
There seems to be a presupposition that all geniuses and talented people are "successful" within the parameters of our social/cultural/economic constructs. It could be argued easily, that Nikola Tesla was a genius. He died alone and a broken man. This is not to say that you can't be a mainstream successful genius either, because there are plenty of mainstream geniuses. It just depends on how well the talented adapt to the demands of the culture, social constructs, etc., while maintaining their talents/genius. Patience is a virtue, even for you talented folks.
It could be another issue to debate what we think a "genius" is or "successful" means, and what we presuppose about those things, but...I didn't think about that in the shower so I don't want to mention it here, but that is definitely worth exploring. Ooopsies!! :DIf you are different, or you want to be different from the crowd(s) somehow, it seems to me that patience is needed more than if you just run with the crowd. You'll need patience with the regular crowd itself for not understanding your own deviated path. Supreme patience, love, & understanding with the crowd that fears change or what is "different," might make your own path easier as well. I know I'm a work in progress that will never be a finished product, but I still aim at thinking about these things (sometimes out of the blue while in the shower).
I took this photo of mala beads a few years ago
People are meant to be unique and beautiful. Confirming to social norms can diminish that uniqueness.
"All and all we are all just bricks in the wall."
Pink Floyd