In his book Head First: 10 Ways to Tap Into Your Natural Genius, Tony Buzan explores what he refers to as our “10 Intelligences.” One of the intelligences Buzan refers to is Personal Intelligence, which he says many consider to be the most important intelligence “because it concerns the only person with whom you will spend every second of your life – yourself.”
Personal Intelligence can be summed up in the phrase “Know Thyself,” and generally indicates that you are in charge of your reactions to events, rather than letting events control you in inappropriate and self-damaging ways. . . . When you have a truly high Personal Intelligence you are the kind of person of whom others say “he seems to be at peace with himself” or “she seems comfortable in her own skin,” and are able to overcome almost any sort of personal adversity.
Here are the first 5 of Buzan’s Top 10 strategies for developing your own Personal Intelligence. (More of Buzan’s list in a future post.)
1. Self-talk: Monitor those constant conversations that go on in your head between you and yourself. Notice whether they are positive or negative and whether they add to the general quality health and happiness of your life or subtract from it. Adjust them appropriately!
2. Treat Yourself as Your Best Friend: Only when you are truly happy with yourself can any other relationships be developed properly. “Learn to treat yourself as affectionately as you would treat anyone who is especially dear to you.”
3. Continue to Develop Other Multiple Intelligences: For example, learn to play an instrument, read new & different types of books, remember jokes & develop a skill in telling them, learn a new language, listen to different types of music.
4. Wait!: In emotional situations, give yourself a moment to pause and contemplate your options and responses. Is it necessary to “blow your top?”
5. Take Regular Breaks: Breaks allow your brain to “change gear.” Brain research has shown that taking even short breaks – one to two minutes – during periods of intense brain activity (read: writing a brief, preparing for a hearing) can refresh your thinking and allow you to explore new ideas.
For more information about Tony Buzan or to learn about his books or workshopsvisit www.buzanworld.com