I’m a huge fan of Arianna Huffington, formerly with Huffington Post and now with Thrive Global which she founded after having a breakdown. She literally was working so much that she fell asleep at her desk and hit her head on her desk as she fell to the floor. After this happened, she realized she needed much better life balance, so she changed her life and founded Thrive Global. One of the premises they promote at Thrive Global are micro steps - tiny steps to improvement in life balance and health.
We modeled Super Powers on this micro step principle. We focus on a life area each month and suggest small changes and improvements that compounded will be significant in your life. For the past few weeks in August, we have suggested small ways to enhance your intellect. I believe that the true value of intellect lies in application to your life as a whole. So, let’s apply intellect to all the other areas of life and see how you can live smarter.
APPLY INTELLECT
How can we apply intellect to relationships, adventure, environment, health & fitness, skills and spiritual life? One of the best ways to apply our intellect is to take care of ourselves first. A way to have a good smart start is to be rested. I will be a hypocrite if I tell you all to go to bed early. But, make an effort to get good rest regularly. My Fitbit gives me an alert at 10pm and tells me to get ready for bed. Some days I actually listen, so to be smart, that is a good start. Get as much rest as you can. You will be calmer and sharper.
Another way to be smart and position yourself for success is to be intentional in your preparedness and framework. If I have my gym bag packed the night before, my lunch made and outfit picked out, I start the day feeling prepared. In the mornings, I like to spend some time meditating, having some spiritual time with God and expressing gratitude for my blessings. Sheepishly I will admit that I follow that up with me confidently stating, “Today is going to be a great day! Let’s go!” Then I get out of bed, follow the admiral’s advice and make my bed. Consider sprinkling in a few positive affirmations in the bathroom as you get ready for the day.
Next, I try to remember Og Mandino’s advice to treat everyone as if they will be dead by midnight. Yes, it’s morbid, but it really puts things in context and weeds out the insignificant thoughts, drama and emotions. Mandino continues by saying, “extend all the care, kindness and compassion you can muster with no thought of any reward.” In my mind, this is living smart.
At the end of the day, can you look back and say you made a difference in someone’s life? Did you create a ripple or pay it forward? Did you make the world a better place, for someone, in a big or small way? Were you open to new ideas and new people? Did you try something creative and different?
I’m rereading a book my sister gave me by Robin Sharma, Discover Your Destiny. Let me share a few nuggets from that book.
NUGGETS TO DIGEST
“Your life is a treasure and you are so much more than you know.
Fear not the unknown, for it is where your greatness resides.
The mind can be cruel, causing you to spend the best years of your life living in the past or squandering the present worrying over things that will never happen. The heart lives in the present moment.
Your stumbling blocks can become your stepping stones if you choose. Do not miss the remarkable opportunity that adversity and even tragedy present.
The world is transforming as people who were once willing to live ordinary lives now step out of their comfort zones to explore the wilderness of the extraordinary.
We all need to have a statement on a piece of paper that we can revisit every morning while the rest of the world is asleep that will serve as a moral compass to direct the choices of our day. Without such a statement of philosophy, you will live your life by accident, reacting to whatever pops up within your days.
Living a life without a devotion to excellence dishonors the priceless gifts and talents that have been given to you.
Getting to the end or even the middle of your life and waking up one day to the understanding that you did not dare, that you did not reach for the stars, that you did not realize even one-tenth of your potential will break your heart.
The key is also to keep running toward rather than away from your fears because on the other side of your greatest fears lives your greatest life.
Big risks, big life. Small risks, small life.
Stop worrying about finding your destiny. Spend your time getting to know yourself.
Someone gave you your fears. Someone taught them to you.
You need to know to taste the deliciousness that life can be.
Your life is like a thriller. Half the fun is not knowing what’s going to happen.
Let go of your need to control the path of your destiny.
Once you get the lesson, time must elapse so you can integrate it.
Everyone must do what they need to do to develop a lust for life.
Once you can develop some emotional engagement around a pursuit, rather than simply an intellectual one, the excitement flows and the energy explodes.
Living an excellent life is a manifestation of self-love.”
Get a copy of the book if you want to read more, but take these nuggets and . . .
Use your intellect. Live life smart and with zest!
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