Evolutionary Transformation

Evolution is a process of change from a lower, simpler state to a higher, more complex or improved state.

Transform means to change in form, nature, or function.

Just as a diamond is transformed from carbon to rough stone to dazzling gemstone, we, too, can undergo an Evolutionary Transformation. No other animal on the planet can transform itself and its circumstances like a human being can. No matter where you are in your life, no matter what has happened to you in the past, you have the potential to transform yourself into a brilliant diamond. Your geography and your biogra­phy do not determine your destiny. Regardless of your starting point, you can evolve to a higher and better state.

My research led me to even more questions: What is brilliance? Why is it important? How does it make a difference in the world?

Simply put, releasing your brilliance means releasing the genius within you. It's living from the inside out- finding your inner light and letting it shine for the whole world to see. It's discovering and leveraging your unique talents and your pure, intuitive intelligence.

Of the many characteristics that contribute to a dia­mond's beauty, brilliance is the most important, bar none. Brilliance is the life of the diamond; it is the burst of white light, the flash and the sparkle that captures our attention. Everyone notices a brilliant diamond - it seems to explode with light, eliciting "oohs" and "aahs" from those nearby.

And so it is when you release your brilliance. You have a certain vibrant energy that attracts the attention of those around you. You have "it"-a special, distinctive quality that's difficult to describe. It's more than pres­ence, charisma, or enthusiasm. It's something much bigger and deeper. Brilliance has nothing to do with im­pressing people, but everything to do with allowing your light to shine and illuminate someone else's darkness.

Why is releasing your brilliance important? Well, let's consider what happens when you don't release your bril­liance. When you operate outside of your brilliance, you become disengaged from life. You work and live to meet your daily needs rather than to maximize your poten­tial. You simply exist from day to day, without much passion or enthusiasm for life. Meanwhile, your talents remain untapped, buried somewhere deep inside. This is an awful way to live. And it drags down those you care about-your family and friends.

Life shouldn't be that way-and it doesn't have to be. When you release your brilliance, you feel alive, con­nected, and uplifted. You use your talents and gifts to breathe life into everything and everyone around you. Your family, friends, co-workers, and even your organi­zation all benefit from your brilliance. Imagine what would happen if each person on Earth simply focused on releasing his or her brilliance. Truly, the planet would experience an Evolutionary Transformation unlike any­thing mankind has ever seen.

When I finally embraced and began to leverage my core gifts, talents, and abilities, the floodgates opened for me. I found my genius. I discovered how to release my bril­liance, and I discovered that diamonds truly are forever.

Through my work, I've connected with literally tens of thousands of people-some in person, some through e-mail, and many through phone calls. It saddens me how often I hear from people who feel trapped. I've lost track of the hours I've spent listening to bright men and women share how frustrated they are with their lives. Many of them were vibrant and brilliant at one time, but some­where along the way they lost their energy and luster.

These experiences got me thinking-if each of us has the potential to release the brilliance of our inner diamond, why don't more of us do it? Why do some people shine while others don't? The questions led to more research, as well as more introspection and dis­section of my own life. Eventually, I found what I be­lieve to be the answer: Because we've forgotten how to shine. We've forgotten that we are, in fact, priceless diamonds with a brilliance all our own.

Learn more about this book throughout January in the Bright Ideas from Bestselling Authors group on Gather.

Join the Bright Ideas group now>