The term Exceptional Ability probably originated,

in a unique process required for a US Green Card.

More recently it has been used by the CEO of a large company,

to describe an alternative to a college diploma.

Personally, I use it as a way to show that High School and College,

are not what they seem to be,

And the way I want _you_ to think about it,

is, as a private, and personal tool for self evaluation.

I don't think we all need to think about having exceptional abilities,

I think we all have that power within, and ordinary I would say most of us have better things to do.

But, I think world's schools need great repairs,

and until they begin working properly we need a tool for thinking, a kind of a compass, and this notion of Exceptional Ability can guide our self education efforts.

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I want you to ask: "Is High School providing me with Exceptional Ability?"

"Is College providing me with Exceptional Ability?".

I want you to resist thinking about High School as means,

to College, Med School, and University, which then will make your dreams come true.

We need to,

stay on the ground.

If you are already worried, that you will ruin your life by not doing what everyone else is doing,

start preparing for Thru-hiking the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails, and begin training for Marathons, and Western States 100.

Exceptional ability, by definition, means that there is nobody else like you,

graduating from a University may actually show that your education is not exceptional.

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It is not my intent to encourage everyone to think in terms of exceptional abilities,

that is just as dumb as using the word genius to describe one self.

My intent is to help people reach their golden age with fewer regrets,

we have such powerful imaginations, and such excellent patience that we are each a writer, a leader, an inventor, an inspiration.

Standardized education has a tendency to discourage exceptional abilities,

because, by definition, they are unique and can't be standardized or graded.

There is a teacher, and leader in all of us,

and some people enjoy teaching and leading so much that they become Intellectual Leaders for the whole world, in a way, World's True Leaders.

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The True Leaders of the world, are those who change lives for better,

their books very frequently earn a permanent place in Human History, and help the world grow.

They don't want to be presidents or prime ministers,

and they are held in such great esteem that nobody really cares to ask them to focus on anything in particular.

The True Leaders of Humanity, do the things that they are good at, that are meaningful to them,

and then they share, be it by writing a book, or by invitation to speak.

Some people that take to working on their Exceptional Abilities,

often do go on to become these Leaders Without Borders.

One must wonder, how many are lost to High School,

or College and University.

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Don't worry about ever needing to present proof of exceptional ability,

whatever job wants just the proof, is probably not worth your time.

When you enter the path of helping the world grow a little bit,

to change lives for the better, to bring enlightenment where lies caked together to create darkness, your priories will shift a little bit.

This is where Western States, and the Pacific Crest and Appalachian Trails come in handy,

adventure gives you just about enough room, to begin weaving your next thought.

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Above all, Exceptional Ability is your private self-measuring stick,

perhaps it is best used by your elder self, in terms of imagining yourself 50 years in the future and trying to figure out what your regrets maybe at that time.

Imagining your Elder Self telling you whether or not you have Exceptional Ability is a fun exercise,

no one knows your better then your wisest self.

It will take a while to learn how to make use of this tool for thinking properly,

but it takes little to begin asking: "Am I on my way towards exception abilities, or not."

It is a tool for your own self, it cannot be used by anybody else but you,

in deed, people that really care about you, don't need proof to know that you are exceptional.

It is a tool for our inner-selves, to make progress forward, and in such a way, that our elder selves won't be sitting around disappointed,

that they blew what turned out to be the only opportunity at delving a magnificently scalding Valedictorian speech that ended up igniting a Revolution In Education.

It is a tool to keep our path of self education at a consistent incline,

so that we can be sure that come our golden age we will have all the wisdom we need.

Even those of us who don't care to ponder self education and pursuits of Exceptional Abilities,

eventually do develop them so as long as they further their wisdom to no end.

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If I had to describe what proof of exceptional ability, or breathtaking wisdom, looks like,

I'd say it comes in the shape of a book, a book that changes lives for better.

If it was a science book,

it would probably be an accessible popular science book inviting the whole world to learn along with an inspirational narrative.

Most often it is probably some kind of Autobiographical Journal, maybe a Journal of Self Education,

or Poetry, or a heavy book full of Artworks and ideas behind them, or tutorials.

If the figure in Gladwell's Outliers is anything to go by,

then it probably takes ten years to create, and maybe another five to write down.

I think of a book, because books are great at creating descriptions,

though a person's work may revolve around fixing education, it would almost certainly be a book or an audio book, that would tell the story.

Finally, can proof of exceptional ability be used as a substitute for a College Diploma,

I think so, if the management appreciates your book, they will appreciate your presence as well.