The Zen of Intelligence – Emotional, Spiritual & Creative
Published October 21, 2011 | 
Continue Developing Your Intelligence at Any Age
There is still much about the brain that remains a mystery, and we are still learning new facts about continuing development of the brain even into more advanced ages. Many of the old tales about the brain’s ability to learn new things diminishing with age are proving to be old tales and the stories urban legends are made of, and just not true. Let’s examine three types of intelligence where the brain can be effectively developed and maintained.
Emotional
The development of Emotional Intelligence involves the clear understanding of one’s inner world of emotions and thoughts. And increasing the ability and strength in the brain to control both emotions and thoughts, and consciously work with them. We can develop the brain through participation in independent projects, reading informative and enlightening books, journal/blog writing, creative and imaginative activities and games, counseling, and many times just quiet reflection and deep meditation.
Spiritual
Spiritual intelligence can be a powerful force in one’s life and overall intelligence make up, since it entails accessing our deepest meanings, purposes, and highest motivation. We can most often develop it by identifying quiet peaceful places for personal reflection, or by the practice of deep meditation or thoughtful prayer.
Creative
By definition, the creative is unconventional, anarchic, flexible, open and difficult to pin down. What the concept of creative intelligence does is enable us to understand and apply the dimension of human life that can sometimes feel so erratic or nebulous, and difficult to get a hold of and completely understand intellectually.
It is wired into the human genome that we are all creating all the time, both consciously and unconsciously, but our clear understanding of how, and our level of confidence in any part of the process, has most likely been suppressed in us. So, another way to think is that creative intelligence is a vital dimension of the capacity of human intelligence which can be allowed to flow freely and unbridled or stifled by many influences from environmental to cultural.
Creativity includes creating something new and original with either your mind or with your body, and sometimes both. Creative Intelligence can be developed by the participation in plays or make-believe games, by creative writing, painting, handicrafts, decorations, cooking, sewing and so forth. There are some activities that combine more than one type of intelligence. An example of this would be dancing that sharpens your Spatial Intelligence (i.e. you are learning patterns), Social, Musical, and Bodily Intelligences at the same time with the same activity.
Understand that formal study is also a way to keep the brain young and growing as a human being. When you go back to school, studying sharpens your Logical, Verbal and Creative Intelligences, as well as your Social and Emotional Intelligences. Also, changing up your job at times is another way to keep the brain in a state training. Some scientist that study the brain closely agree that it’s a good idea to make a change every ten years or sometimes sooner and do something different, either within the same organization or to move to another one.
The Zen of Intelligence – Verbal, Logical and Spatial
Published October 19, 2011 | You’re Never Too Old to Develop Intelligence
How often do you hear sad stories about the human brain? Well, forget stories about the brain including that it’s at its peak when we’re in our twenties, and then sadly, it slowly begins to decline to the point that we are in old age with fragments instead of clear memories in the brain and we can’t even remember our own name, let alone anyone else’s. The good news is you can forget what’s not true.
The terrific news is that the brain is an organ that can continue to develop throughout life. Similar to developing muscles with physical workouts, your intelligence can be developed and strengthened through brain exercises.
Intelligence that makes up our mind is represented by many facets. Developing personal growth includes fostering and training many of the various kinds of intelligence that is available to us including the following three types.
Verbal
Verbal intelligence entails reading, writing, speaking, and conversing with others. Exercises include learning a new language, playing word games, reading interesting books, listening to any type of recordings, using a computer to participate in conversation and discussions online. 
In case you didn’t know, the interesting fact about learning new languages is each one has unique expressions and concepts that aren’t a part of others. Learning a new language opens up a new way of visualizing the world.
Logical
It goes without saying logical involves developing your number and computing skills, the recognition of patterns, relationships, correctness and organization, and the ability to recognize and solve through logic, different kinds of problems. Understand that the brain can be exercised through classification and sequence activities, solving different kinds of puzzles (i.e. crossword, Sudoku, etc.), and playing both number and logic games.
Spatial
Your sense of awareness includes developed visual perception of the surrounding environments, and the ability to both create, as well as manipulation of mental images. This type of intelligence can be developed through the use of drawings, paintings, sculpting, all used to ultimately sharpen observation skills and heighten awareness. Also, solving mazes and other spatial tasks, exercises in imagery and activating greater imagination with mind maps to develop and practice skills. These are just some of the ways of practicing Spatial Intelligence you can add to other exercises you may already know, are familiar with, and learn from others developing and maintaining their own levels intelligence.
The Zen of Solitude
Published October 18, 2011 | Solitude: Intimate Sense of Connection with all others
It is fact, that in order to become whole and happy, human beings need a measure of solitude – which is very different from loneliness. Solitude is when we are on our own – but feel deeply connected to all around us.
Once you clearly understand the most important way out of loneliness is to become much more self reliant, and begin to value your moments of solitude, you can begin to stop covering up loneliness with TV, drugs, alcohol, or other means of deadening your feelings of loneliness.
At first, it certainly sounds strange, but once we reach the point where we begin to value solitude (Solitude is the birthplace of your creativity), we then begin to feel a strong sense of connection, even when we are alone. When we reach that level of understanding, we actually become less needy; we are then positioned to create healthy, respectful friendships, with powerfully positive energy.
- There’s a difference between solitude and loneliness. ~ Maggie Smith
- As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, or weakness will not be weakness. ~ Henry David Thoreau
- Conversation enriches the understanding, but solitude is the school of genius. ~ Edward Gibbon
- Cultivate solitude and quiet and a few sincere friends, rather than mob merriment, noise and thousands of nodding acquaintances. ~ William Powell
One can be instructed in society, one is inspired only in solitude. ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
One of the greatest necessities in America is to discover creative solitude. ~ Carl Sandburg
Only in solitude do we find ourselves; and in finding ourselves, we find in ourselves all our brothers in solitude. ~ Miguel de Unamuno
Our language has wisely sensed the two sides of being alone. It has created the word loneliness to express the pain of being alone. And it has created the word solitude to express the glory of being alone. ~ Paul Tillich
People who abhor solitude may abhor company almost as much. ~ Mason Cooley
Solitude is independence. ~ Hermann Hesse
Solitude is painful when one is young, but delightful when one is more mature. ~ Albert Einstein
Whosoever is delighted in solitude is either a wild beast or a god. ~ Aristotle
The Zen of Connection
Published October 17, 2011 | Loneliness is the Overwhelming Feeling of Separation.
It is a highly-acknowledged fact that the culture of westernization produces and increases a strong sense of loneliness. Let’s examine some reasons for this:
- What we consider traditional social structures and the underlying composition of society continue to weaken or have actually broken down in many cases. The very evolution of family units continues to grow smaller and loosing the historically strong support of a large extended network of relatives.
- Let’s face it, life is busy and getting busier all the time. We now lack the time that past generations had to be with loved ones, or to truly cultivate strong and lasting friendships.
- It seems in our current multi-media driven world, that many people have a lot more virtual interactions than valuable face-to-face with others.
- Lower self-esteem can quickly spiral down to isolation and associated loneliness as a direct result of the erosion of even a small measure confidence needed to simply seek out the mere company of others.
- Activities that seem to divert the mind from a feeling of loneliness including TV, surfing the Web, or Web games can drive people that already have a strong sense of loneliness, even deeper into isolation.
- The emergence and manifestation of depression, which is accompanied by a heightened feeling of disconnectedness, has become widespread.
- Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty. ~ Mother Teresa
- At the innermost core of all loneliness is a deep and powerful yearning for union with one’s lost self. ~ Brendan Francis
- We have all known the long loneliness, and we have found that the answer is community. ~ Dorothy Day
Dynamic ways to Emerge from the Specter of Loneliness
Clearly understand that it takes positive energy to make friends, but you can accomplish it with practice and creating positive and dynamic habits.
- Kindness: Practicing kindness results in positive energy returned to you, so complete one act of kindness for someone else each day. Don’t worry, as there are plenty of daily opportunities for kindness you will start to recognize.
- Volunteer: Take part in youth sports like Little League baseball; join a good cause, the Red Cross, or a community group.
- Be productive: clean your home, do the laundry, or tidy your cupboards.
- Fun: It’s good for positive energy to do something that’s fun, like learn to dance, go to a pottery class, learn self-defense through martial arts, or go surfing.
- Hobbies: Learn more about something you’ve always been interested in.
- Communicate: Take the positive initiative and be the first to pick up the phone, or write an email. Don’t wait for people to contact you, as they might be waiting on you.
- Exercise: Join a FUN exercise group to learn about and enjoy fitness with others.
- Walk: Going for daily walks connects you with nature.
- Discussion groups: A positive exchange of ideas on the Web builds positive energy and sense of connections with others.
- Develop friendships on social media networks: Like Facebook or Twitter.
It’s extremely important for us to realize that there is no one person can complete all our individual emotional needs and desires, and it takes a village or community of connected people for the greatest positive energy and results.
The Zen of Success – Draw Success from Like-Minded People
Published August 25, 2010 | There is a success theme that runs through the economies you might have noticed or determined for yourself by now that is quite common in all global markets.
By associating with like-minded entrepreneurs and people we draw success from them in the form of validation for what we are about and the success we strive for each day, and more importantly by doing so we are able to validate the success in ourselves, although it might be a small success of reaching a goal, but it is our success.
For example, when you go to a conference you go to network with people, and not just anyone, the people that have the same ambitions you do, and the same goals for success that you do, these are the like minded people and entrepreneurs you are driven to know as part of your quest for success and happiness. 
Like-minded people are wonderful to know, as they have varying levels of success you have in common, along with the entrepreneurial drive that points in the very same direction.
The good news is that it is contagious, and it will further you along at a much greater pace than if you go it alone and are forced to learn many lessons for yourself that you might have avoided by being networked.
I believe firmly it is critical to understand the idea that success has to be built on a solid foundation of knowledge and experience, and if I can impart my views and experience into the foundation essentials that need to be shared to help you reach success in your entrepreneurial business endeavors. The global economies and communities will be far better places with much more shared success for everyone, and in the long run eventually everything will come back to me in the form of success and happiness.