The Gift in You: Discovering New Life Through Gifts Hidden in Your Mind (11 page)
Read The Gift in You: Discovering New Life Through Gifts Hidden in Your Mind Online
Authors: Caroline Leaf
Tags: #Religion & Science, #Christian Life, #Thought and Thinking, #General, #Religion, #Personal Growth, #Self-Actualization (Psychology)
Musical Intelligence
| Yes No |
2. I find it easy to pick up the nuances in someone's speech, for example, whether he or she is sarcastic, angry, irritated or worried. | Yes No |
3. I find myself listening and responding to a variety of sounds including the human voice, environmental sounds, sounds in nature and music. | Yes No |
4. I enjoy music and find myself needing music in the learning environment. | Yes No |
5. I will often create my own rhythm if I can't hear music, especially when I am concentrating, for example, clicking my pen, tapping my foot or rocking in my chair rhythmically. | Yes No |
6. I find myself responding to music by humming along. | Yes No |
7. I find myself responding to music by moving in time to the music. | Yes No |
8. I find music and singing make me feel various emotions. | Yes No |
9. If I watch gymnastics or ballet or dancing or any sport, I can "hear" the music in the body movements. | Yes No |
10. I recognize different types of musical styles and genres and cultural variations. | Yes No |
11. I find the role music has played and continues to play in human life fascinating. | Yes No |
12. I collect CDs and mp3s of different types of music. | Yes No |
13. I have the ability to sing. | Yes No |
14. I play one or more musical instruments. | Yes No |
15. I am able and like to analyze and critique musical selections. | Yes No |
16. I often am able to interpret what a composer is communicating through music. | Yes No |
17. I remember the titles and the words of songs. | Yes No |
18. I can hear a song once or twice and then sing most of it. | Yes No |
19. I have a desire to create, or I have created a musical instrument. | Yes No |
20. I like music. | Yes No |
21. I would love to be (or I am already) a sound engineer, conductor or musician. | Yes No |
22. I read music. | Yes No |
23. I like musical games, for example, karaoke. | Yes No |
24. I often tap or hum while working or when learning something new. | Yes No |
25. I like whistling and often do. | Yes No |
26. I often have intuitive hunches. | Yes No |
27. I can easily "read between the lines." | Yes No |
28. I can "read" people easily. | Yes No |
29. I am not easily misled. | Yes No |
30. I am somewhat cynical. | Yes No |
Visual/Spatial Intelligence
| Yes No |
2. I like to produce and can easily understand graphic information, for example, using graphs or charts to explain concepts. | Yes No |
3. I can easily navigate my way through space, for example, when I'm moving through apertures, moving a car through traffic, parking a car, etc. | Yes No |
4. I can easily read a road map. | Yes No |
5. I like building blocks, origami objects, Lego, models and bridges. | Yes No |
6. I like building puzzles, especially big ones. | Yes No |
7. I like creating photo collages and scrapbooking. | Yes No |
8. I like creating PowerPoint presentations. | Yes No |
9. I like taking photos or creating videos of special occasions. | Yes No |
10. I like designing posters/murals/bulletin boards. | Yes No |
11. I find myself visualizing (pictures and imaging) a lot especially when I am listening and trying to understand. | Yes No |
12. I can easily remember large chunks of information (for short periods of time) just from reading. | Yes No |
13. I like creating complex "architecture" type drawings. | Yes No |
14. I would love to make (or love making) a film or an advertisement. | Yes No |
15. I appreciate and notice variation in color, size and shape, for example, I notice the colors, furniture and interior design in rooms. | Yes No |
16. I naturally color code, for example, Sunday is red, and Monday is blue. | Yes No |
17. I like board games like Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit. | Yes No |
18. I like and am fairly good at producing various art forms such as illustrations, drawings, sketches, paintings and sculpture. | Yes No |
19. I like using technology, such as computers. | Yes No |
20. I like to do presentations and | Yes No |
21. I like writing on a board or flipchart when I am explaining something, lecturing or teaching. | Yes No |
22. I see clear visual images of what I am thinking or hearing when I close my eyes. | Yes No |
23. I have vivid dreams. | Yes No |
24. I can easily find my way around and only need to go to a place once and will easily find my way back again. | Yes No |
25. I like drawing and doodling especially when on the phone or when listening to a lecture where I have to concentrate. | Yes No |
26. I prefer not to look at a lecturer or teacher's face when I am trying to concentrate as this distracts me. | Yes No |
27. I find it easier to learn when I can see and observe. | Yes No |
28. I often use visual images as an aid to recall detailed information. | Yes No |
29. I can easily fold a piece of paper into a complex shape and visualize its new form. | Yes No |
30. I find it easy to see things - both concrete and linguistic - in different ways or from new perspectives, for example, detecting one form hidden in another or seeing the "other angle" of a problem. | Yes No |
CHAPTER TWELVE:
{WHAT YOUR GIFT PROFILE SAYS ABOUT YOU}
If the human brain were so simple that we could understand it, we would be so simple that we couldn't.
- Emerson M. Pugh
Fill in your scores from the questionnaire in the table below to create your Gift Profile.
THE ORDER OF THE GIFT | 1st Profile | 1st Profile |
Intrapersonal Intelligence | | |
Interpersonal Intelligence | | |
Linguistic Intelligence | | |
Logical/Mathematical Intelligence | | |
Kinesthetic Intelligence | | |
Musical Intelligence | | |
Visual/Spatial Intelligence | | |
Sometimes, the way you think best - the way your brain is really wired - may be very different from the way you thought you processed.
Alternatively, you may now be starting to understand better why you think and do what you do. You can now move on to what this all means to you specifically and what you can start doing with the information right now.
You have also moved away from the common, misguided perception of intelligence as a single, universal sign of human competence, to the more accurate recognition that our capacities as humans are the product of seven distinct types of thought - the Seven Pillars.
Consider for a moment the following questions:
- In what ways are you gifted?
- Can you create a magnificent piece of artwork from a blank canvas?
- Do you sing or play a musical instrument in a way that touches the hearts of those listening to you?
- Do you inspire people by your vision and lead them to greater heights?
- Do you write page-turning novels or poetry that moves mountains?
- Do you offer advice that puts you in the category of a sage?
- Is your mental math so precise that others are in awe of you?
- Do you play tennis or any other sport so well that everyone is amazed at your mastery?
Each of these questions represents the development of different forms of thinking in action. I remind you that the questions are not totally comprehensive - you would
neeousands
of questions to cover all the sub skills in one pillar of thought.
The recognition of the fact that we are all so uniquely made and that no one is better than anyone else is the first step toward harnessing the powers of your intellect. Armed with the knowledge of which pillar is dominant in you, which starts the thinking process, you can begin to use your other forms of thinking along with this optimally, as in the example of Einstein.
You can also start making your contribution to a really important task: creating "intelligence-fair" and "true-you fair" ways of perceiving each other, our children, our colleagues, our learners, our educators and our bosses.
A wise person once said: "Every journey begins with a single step." That is true of this next stage of your journey toward becoming more intelligent: assessing your Gift Profile, beginning to think about your dominant pillar.
The Harmony of Thinking
The truth is that there is no one pillar superior to the others, though some, such as the Logical/Mathematical pillar, are universal.
12
Others, such as language and reading abilities, are culturally specific. Within each type of thought, there are steps ranging from novice to expert.
However, there are enormous individual differences in the speed at which a person passes from novice to mastery and, of course, differences in each person's gift combination. There is also the developmental sequence to take into consideration.
But because one type of thinking is stronger or more dominant in you does not mean the others are weak. They are simply less dominant and work with the dominant. They cannot function properly in isolation. Their strength comes from their interaction.
You have to have all seven working in combination to make up your gift or you would not be able to function normally in daily life. You also need all seven working together through your dominant pillars in order to promote emotional intelligence or EQ.
For example, when you are sitting in a restaurant having a conversation with a friend, your Linguistic type of thinking is dominating; when you tune into each other and take turns in talking, your Interpersonal thinking is operating; your ability to sit on the chair without falling off is your Visual/Spatial and Kinesthetic thinking working; the appreciation of the atmosphere and ambience of the restaurant is a combination of your
Intrapsonal
and Musical thinking (your Musical thinking will also be helping you interpret the nuances in your friend's voice); your Kinesthetic thinking will help you when you maneuver your way through the chairs and tables in the restaurant to the restroom; your Logical/Mathematical thinking will be operating as you move through the logical steps in solving your friend's crisis; and finally, your Visual/Spatial thinking will help you appreciate the well-coordinated design of the restaurant.
To grow as a human being and to use your innate potential, you need to move away from what I call a "disability focus" - focusing on your weaknesses and forgetting about your strengths. You need to focus on what you can do, rather than what you think you can't do. When you do that, you will find that your non-dominant thinking will naturally grow stronger. We also need to stop desiring someone else's gift and rather focus on and develop our own.
The fact is, your brain is designed in such a way that your strengths support your weaknesses. That's why weaknesses should not be seen in a negative light. They are the flip side of your strengths and can therefore be renamed as non-dominances. Like day, they follow night. Like failure, they give you opportunities to learn, to grow and to succeed. They are part of what makes you unique.
An overemphasis on trying to overcome weaknesses creates much of the unhappiness in our world. It is much like trying to force the proverbial square peg into a round hole. It is the reason so many people seek but don't find meaning in their lives.
Unfortunately, one of the most concerning aspects in traditional schooling systems is that some educators are blissfully unaware of the existence of multiple thinking intelligences in their learners. They teach as if all their students' brains process information in exactly the same way.
The results of this can be nothing short of tragic. Students are made to focus on their weaknesses and are not given the freedom to focus on their strengths, because educators and parents, most likely through no fault of their own, have no idea what their students' strengths are. In many cases, they may not even acknowledge that some of their students have any strengths at all, especially if they happen not to be strong in Logical/Mathematical and Linguistic domains - the so-called "school intelligences."
Another enduring myth about thinking and intelligence has to do with who is creative. Most people may have been taught that those with a dominant Visual/Spatial or Musical thinking are only the truly creative ones. Children and adults are labeled as "creative" if they happen to be artistic or musical in conventional senses.
Yet creativity is expressed through all the Seven Pillars. Most people are creative within one or two forms of thought only; therefore, a good plumber is as creative as someone who can paint a portrait.
Few people would easily associate analytical thinking with being creative, yet there are many examples where it is extremely creative. The great Italian artist Leonardo
da
Vinci, for example, was clearly artistic. He left behind many masterpieces to attest to his prodigious artistic talents. He also had strong Logical/Mathematical thinking, which many educators would not easily attach with the idea of creativity. He designed the first helicopter, completed and recorded the first anatomical dissection, and sang like an angel.
Einstein is another example. He was clearly gifted mathematically and logically, yet he was certainly creative. He may not have produced works of art like
da
Vinci, but he gave us many amazing insights into the universe around us and the way it works. His ability to visualize was incredible. No one would ever describe Einstein as lacking in creativity.
Each one of us is a special part of this wonderfully unique puzzle that is life. To find our place in it and to be the right piece that fits harmoniously into the whole puzzle, we need to do what we are designed to do. Sadly, many people don't do that and end up living a life with tragic consequences, much like Rabbit, who we discussed earlier.
Ultimately, when all seven types of thinking are allowed to work together, you begin to operate in your gift and move toward knowing, being and accepting who you really are. You move away from being what you are not and stop trying to live up to other people's expectations and quit feeling like you have to put up fronts or facades. You move toward who you really are. This is what I call your truth-value.
When you live according to your truth-value, not only will you become much more intelligent, but you also become much more likely to live a happy, fulfilled life. In other words, you will become more emotionally intelligent, which is another of the amazing benefits of this paradigm of Geodesic Learning.
Now look at your Gift Profile. Where are your highest scores? Compare the differences between the personal (the real you) and the professional/ academic (how you have had to grow and change because of the demands of academics or work) in your strongest types of thought (see page 119).
Remember that it is normal to have one dominant pillar, though some people may have two or three. Having more than one dominant type of thinking is not a sign of greater intelligence, though; it's merely a different variation of the Seven Pillars.
Reflect on these results. The following questions may help you:
- Which type of thinking is your highest type of thinking score?
- Which are the second and third highest? These are your supporting non-dominant types of thought.
- Does this reflect how you perceive yourself?
- Are there differences between the personal and professional/academic scores?
- If there are differences, can you see that the dominant types of thought have helped raise the others?
- Were your areas of strength ever nurtured as a child?
- What kinds of gifts do you see in your family, peers, colleagues or students?
- What does this all mean to you?
As you work with your Gift Profile, you need to think on two levels.
First, you need to find out what form of thinking is strongest in you; then you should begin to appreciate the need to develop interaction between your other types of thinking, all seven of them. This will allow your stronger types of thinking to dominate, and just as importantly, it will enhance the non-dominant types of thinking to work through your first and second dominant pillars, which will improve your overall thinking skills and intelligence.
Your gift will be released and you will start to realize your potential.
True, nature and nurture play a role in your neural hardwiring and intellectual potential, but only to provide the framework; it's up to you to develop your gift, and the sky is the limit! So the way you think and the choices you make are more powerful than you may have thought.
Your gift is a dynamic growing part of who you are - not a predetermined mold.
The final part of the equation for the improvement of thinking and intelligence is you. You and your attitude - your freedom of choice in response to circumstances - will determine how your gift develops. It is within your grasp.
This means harnessing all your types of thinking so they can work in harmony together. The more you allow them to work together, the more synergy there will be between the two sides of your brain and the more intelligent you will be on many levels. When you allow your Seven Pillars to work together in the natural design - your gift - you become a person filled with wisdom.
