You've got the Smarts
Let's just talk for a moment about the ‘make up’ of our conscious minds. Our conscious minds intelligence is split into ‘sub intelligence’ groups, that reflect the purpose of each specific intelligence. These intelligences are Mental, Emotional, Self, Learning, Physical and Social.
These sub intelligence groups define how we use our intelligence in our daily lives within our society. Like with anything we have our strengths and our challenges. Let’s be honest- some of us choose to use our intelligence in our lives daily - guiding us in the decisions, actions and choice. These people are the ones that we look at and think ‘WOW! They are really successful. I wish I could be like them’!
Others (I think) sit on their intelligence! We know our intelligence exists but we avoid using it. Doing would mean that we challenge and grow as individuals. I was one of these people.
If I did engage my intelligence - I did so very minimally as then I could always achieve my low expectation and not suffer disillusionment, disappointment, criticism when I ‘failed’ in my mind to reach the standard I had set for myself.
Rather than acknowledge my intelligence I hid from it. Rather than engage and fully use my intelligence I took the simple path- the one which required minimal effort and risk to the emotional or mental components of my ‘self’. The path that was ‘challenge free’ and easy (or so I thought).
It’s funny because I complained and voiced how unhappy, bored or powerless I was to change my life. Yet I was the one sabotaging my own potential for success by not using the most amazing and powerful tool that exists within our human bodies – our intelligence.
I believe that by understanding and actively using my intelligence in my daily life, I empower myself to change my life and to be successful!
The premise I work from is that we are all intelligent beings – some of us actively use it. Others – well you know, sit on it.
We are intelligent – we have strengths in different areas. That’s what makes us so uniquely different yet similar.
Just pause for a moment. When was the last time you considered yourself to be an intelligent being? Have you ever? I mean truly believed it!
See - I knew I was intelligent! But did I use my intelligence daily to help me navigate my life journey with success and confidence? The answer is a resounding NO! Acknowledgment of intelligence is merely the first step to embracing and using it. I didn’t have a clue that intelligence encompassed many areas of our self - I believed intelligence to be how academically successful I was.
AHA! That AHA moment for me was right there.
Society tells us that intelligence is reflected in one’s ability to be academically successful. How high you scored on a maths test, how well you can compose a grammatically correct passage of text or how eloquently and articulate you compose your verbal presentations. The greater the achievement the more ‘intelligent’ you are!
Would it surprise you to know that my achievements – so I have been told - reflect that I am not academically intelligent but ‘average’. This is according to my academic scores of achievement through secondary college and university.
I believed what the experts told me – I was not intelligent but merely ‘average’ and would struggle with a career that required academic intelligence. I have to laugh here as they encouraged me to study teaching. Interestingly enough it was here in my career experience that I discovered my intelligence and used it to become successful.
The key for me was understanding that I had to learn, get to know, understand each intelligence.
I had to learn how they worked for me- together collaboratively.
I had to develop the skills to listen, to pay attention them each one.
I had to learn how they worked, when they were at full strength and when they were at their most challenged.
Most importantly, I had to learn to parallel my thinking so that each intelligence was not getting lost, forgotten or ignored.
Emotional - understanding and using the emotions within ourselves to propel us forward in personal growth and achievement. Using this knowledge to assist us to overcome our emotional barriers, challenges and obstacles.
Social - our interaction with others.
Learning - our ability to learn new information, knowledge and skills.
Mental – our ability to process and integrate all sub intelligence areas- essentially our ‘thinking’.
Physical - our skills in using the physical body.
Self - the foundation of who we are- your belief systems and philosophies.
You want to be successful. Then get to know your smarts.
That is the best place to start. Get that sorted and you have the foundation create, design and soar to incredible heights.
NEXT BLOG:
OWNING YOUR SMARTS