The 8 Kinds of Smart are already within each us! It's part of our nature as human beings. However, as you've discovered from your SmartProfile™ not all of the intelligences are equally developed.
As I mentioned in the introduction to the SmartProfile™ Information & Management Center some of your intelligences are strong and highly developed. Others are emerging. While still others are in various states of latency or are simply asleep!
But again, the good news is that any underdeveloped intelligence can be enhanced, improved, and otherwise strengthened. The following set of exercises are designed to help you "awaken" your less developed intelligences and help grow those intelligence areas that need some help.
INSTRUCTIONS
During the coming week experiment with the follow set of exercises. The goal of these exercises is:
1) To help you become more aware of how much SelfSmart is part of your everyday life,
2) To increase your comfort level for working with this intelligence, and
3) To help you build your SelfSmart capacities.
The exercises are designed to help you understand the SelfSmart capacities which are already inside you just waiting to be awakened. Do each exercise once a day.
Enjoy this. It's not a difficult as it may seem, in fact, it's really quite fun!.
EXERCISE 1:
When events happen that make you aware of feelings within yourself, pause for a moment. Be still, and pretend that you are an outside observer of yourself having these feelings. Don’t try to change them, analyze them, or evaluate them. Just watch the process unfold!
EXEERCISE 2:
Get a notebook which will become a “Self-Identity Reflection Journal”. Over the course of a week, take time to write in this journal everyday on the topic “Who Am I, REALLY? Who am I, AT THE CORE?” You may write anything you want in the journal but you are not allowed to write about any of your possessions, relationships, beliefs, or values.
EXERCISE 3:
During a boring activity, practice mindfulness. Be aware of everything going on around you and in you: What you are thinking about? What are your physical movements? What emotions, sounds, smells, sights, tastes, and textures do you sense? Refuse to go on automatic pilot! Turn this into an awareness game.
EXERCISE 4:
When you are involved in a chaotic situation, PAUSE. Take several deep breaths. “Go inside.” Concentrate on your breathing. Block out everything else but your breathing. Find a point of balance and calm in the midst of the whirlwind around you.
EXERICSE 5:
Practice moving your thinking to higher levels, for example, when you’re in a meeting, talking with another, or reading. First, ask yourself what are the objective facts; second analyze the processes and dynamics of the situation; finally, ask “What have I learned? How I can apply it?”
EXERICSE 6:
At the end of the day, spend a few minutes debriefing yourself on the day using the following questions:
• What were the key events of the day? What really stands out in my mind?
• What feelings or emotions can I recall myself experiencing during the day?
• If I could add something to this day, what would it be?
• If I could remove something from this day what would it be?
• If I had to summarize my day for a close friend in just one sentence what would I say?
• If this day was a motion picture or a novel, what would I name it
Reflection on the Week of SelfSmart Explorations
[Focus your thoughts on the past week and your work
with your SelfSmart through the exercises. Type your
reflections in the boxes provided, then click the "print button"
at the bottom of the page too save your work.]
1. As I think back over the week, what stands out in my mind from the SelfSmart explorations I’ve been doing?
2. What did I find most interesting about working with SelfSmart this week? What was surprising? What made me laugh? What disturbed me?
3. What new discoveries did I make about myself and my SelfSmart potentials this week? What benefits have I experienced from working with SelfSmart?
4. What can I do to make SelfSmart a regular part of my daily life? How can I use it on the job? At home with my family? In my personal life?
5. My next steps for continuing to work with SelfSmart are:
