You Are Smarter Than You Think

Beware the hawker who promises to sell you a "secret" formula to raise your IQ ten additional points for a mere $19.95! But wait! There's more! If you order within the next hour the hawker will throw in a free cheese grater!

Know that you ALREADY HAVE both emotional intelligence and business intelligence above and beyond what you believe, beyond what you have been told and beyond intelligence test scores. There is no "secret" formula here so keep the $19.95 in your pocket.

It is enough for you to simply use ALL the intelligence that Mother Nature gave you. At this very moment you have a sizeable chunk of IQ that is being constrained and overpowered.

I suppose IQ tests are helpful when it comes to hiring for particular jobs, for placement in the education system, for career counseling and such. Beyond that, don't take them too seriously. For starters there have been studies that show that the most successful business people aren't the smartest. They simply work harder, do their homework and love what they are doing.

BELIEF

What you BELIEVE about yourself shapes every thought you have, every action you take and every word you speak. If you believe you are stupid or slow or ugly, you will conform (mind and body) to that belief. The result is that you have imprisoned your Best and Deepest Self. Consequently no one gets to know the real you. In fact, you don't even know the real you!

Indulge me, please, for a short story. I have a friend Bill who was labeled by a third grade teacher as " very slow." That label was passed up the grades from teacher to teacher and worse yet, Bill eventually believed it.

When Bill was in the army he decided to take a correspondence course in Algebra because he was determined to pass it even if it took him ten years. Much to his amazement he earned a good grade in a reasonable length of time. Perhaps he wasn't as slow as he had always believed! After the army he graduated from a state university with a four-point grade average and received awards for his writing. These days he is a reporter for a big city newspaper. The only thing in his way was his belief about his own intelligence.

NOISE

Our brains and bodies have evolved almost completely in response to the challenges of life as shepherds, farmers, gatherers and fishermen. What do these activities have in common? Long hours of solitude, of quiet, of contemplation, strong physical activity, intense focus and time to think. Our minds need this "waking quiet" to function and perform at their best.

In the blink of an eye, Man has gone from farmer to techie. Human evolution does not work that fast! While we can survive this unprecedented change by adapting and compensating, the body and mind pay a price.

Your deepest, smartest, most creative, truest Self will NEVER shout to get your attention, to answer your hardest questions or to solve your biggest mysteries. Yet your Best Self is always there, trying to help you.

The iPhone, the iPod, the computer, the robot, the digital television were all born of someone's deepest inner Self. You need to find a way to use your mind and body as it was designed and still be a part of this exciting and promising new noisy time of technology.

Isn't it interesting that when you study the history of invention, you learn the moment of creation often came when the creator was daydreaming or walking the dog or gazing at the stars? Give yourself a period of peace and quiet every day - without phones, without television, without radio, without MP3 players.

Why do you think meditation is still around after many hundreds of years? Meditation isn't simply sleeping while sitting up, it isn't some mumbo-jumbo trance, and it isn't a self-indulgent excuse to avoid responsibilities. Meditation is the practice of re-tuning your total being. It is the chance to sit with your best and deepest (and quietest) Self.

STRESS

Stress mangles, tangles and tortures thought. No way we can avoid all stress, nor should we. But we can compensate. The current consensus for brain function seems to be that even brilliant thinkers poop out after 20 to 40 minutes when it comes to doing anything really special or important. No problemo. Take a quick break every 20 to 40 minutes. If necessary, set an alarm to get you up and moving. During your quick break aim for a change of scene, quiet, fresh air and deep breathing.

SLEEP

Do you know that you can "break" a human being by simply waking them up every couple of hours? The mind turns to mush in just a few days and you will have your signed "confession."

To get the most from your mind you need a good eight hours of uninterrupted sleep, preferably in complete darkness and as little sound as possible. Otherwise, neither your mind nor your body will perform at peak skill.
APPRECIATION

Understand that your brain is having to process incoming data at an unprecedented speed. Your great great-grandfather showed extraordinary courage and determination in his life. But his data-processing load was a tiny fraction of what your brain must handle as you sit in front of two monitors, three phones, three file cabinets and ten co-workers babbling away in nearby cubby-holes.

Give your beautiful mind/brain as much help as possible. Choose carefully what you eat and drink. Keep your challenges in perspective. Get as much peace and quiet as possible. Get plenty of rest. Be grateful for your extraordinary skills. They may not be typical but they are special. Believe that!