“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”
In our pursuit to be remarkably successful on this treadmill of life (with several judgemental contestants) and impress others, we sometimes lose ourselves. We keep pushing ourselves to the brim until we either accomplish our goals or live the rest of our lives in self regret. How many times it has happened that you have looked back and repented for your actions. It could have started from scoring less in academics to feeling bad about your body and would have evolved into your personality. We often compare these life tests with others’ achievements and question our self-worth. We lose our confidence in the process and doubt our capabilities. This row of negativity generates from low intrapersonal intelligence.
Intrapersonal intelligence emanates from being aware of yourself, speaking with yourself, knowing yourself better, and reflecting on your feelings and emotions. Just as interpersonal skills are about good relationships with others, and having strong communication and convincing ability, intrapersonal is all of that but with only yourself as your audience. Some people might confuse the idea of intrapersonal intelligence with emotional intelligence, but both differ slightly. Emotional intelligence enables you to understand others and empathize with their emotions. With intrapersonal intelligence, you delve deeper into your emotions, understand how you feel, assess your ways to move on in life, and find your aspirations.
“When you don’t respect yourself, things add value to you. When you respect the self, you add value to the things.”
~ Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
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Why is Intrapersonal Intelligence so Important?
Our thoughts build our actions and become a prime factor in our life’s progress. Self-awareness leads us on the path of success and gives us what we desire. It’s not just about toning up optimism but also understanding the fear factor. With high intrapersonal intelligence, people do a better SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis for themselves and become more comfortable adapting to situations and lead, despite challenges. Here are a few tips on how to boost our intrapersonal intelligence and succeed.
8 Tips to Sharpen Your Intrapersonal Intelligence
Self-Interaction
Do you talk to yourself? Do you ask questions like, “what are my short-term and long-term goals, or am I moving in the right direction?” When you track your thoughts and decisions, that’s when you understand what you want. It’s crucial to set aside some time of the day in the morning or before you doze off, to reflect on your routine and make enhancements to it.
Sometimes, we assume that our performance isn’t up to the mark, and at other times, we tend to not take feedback constructively. The habit of self-talk minimizes the role of anticipation, opens us up with reasons and logic and helps improve our ways to work better.
Accept Your Feelings As they are
The problem with over-optimism is that we try to forcefully convert our thoughts to make them positive. But in reality, life is not all pleasure at all times, and the brunt of it must be accepted as it is. Say, you feel dissatisfied with your results; instead of trying to think positive, accept that feeling and assess what’s causing you the feeling. Now, if you are the cause, you need to change your course of action and focus on improvement. However, if the cause is external over which you have no control, then learn to deal with that emotion.
Practice Mindfulness
With mindfulness, you become aware of your present and your personality. It helps you become aware of your emotions and thoughts and can help you take preventive or better action. For example, you become aware of your anger and don’t let it loose on a situation.
Self-Reflection
Self-reflection implies understanding what motivates your attitude and behaviour.. Many times, we behave in a certain way without knowing why we do so. When we take time to reflect and take a step back, we gain a better perspective of the situation and get clarity on how to improve ourselves. To develop a high intrapersonal intelligence, self-reflection helps greatly, as we understand the influence behind what we say and do.
Keep a Positive Outlook
To boost your intrapersonal skills, you should not stop when life wears you down. There should always be a developing mindset that looks ahead and plans accomplishments. You can take small steps towards striking off your goals one by one to achieve better and bigger results. The key is to get up when you fall.
Listen to your Body
Many times, we tend to ignore the messages our bodies send us. We must listen to our bodies because the mind and body are interconnected, and disturbance in one can disrupt the functioning of the other. Keep a clean diet that gives you adequate nourishment and follow a holistic lifestyle. Get abundant rest and exercise regularly. Stretch your muscles at intervals and do not keep your body glued to one type of posture. Unplug when necessary and keep up your interest by rewarding yourself for small achievements.
Be Kind to Yourself
Before practicing the act of compassion, learn to be kind to yourself. Create a priority list and deny politely any additional work that adds to your pressure. To boost intrapersonal intelligence, you must pay attention to how to take care of yourself by giving your mind the refreshment it requires. Hold onto a book you enjoy reading, spend some time in nature, or create a me-time in your routine to do everything you love, from writing and painting to singing and dancing.
Practice Yoga and Meditation
Age-old techniques that not only develop our intrapersonal intelligence but also aim for our overall well-being are imbibed in yoga and meditation. Through yoga, one relieves stress from the body, feels rested, active, and energized. Through deep breathing and meditation, one gets a better sense of self-awareness and finds peace within. Also, meditation enhances concentration and trains your mind to block negative thoughts and attract positive ones. Through effective meditation, we feel strongly connected to ourselves.
The Art of Belief
When you believe in yourself and proceed in the right direction, nothing can stop you. Additionally, your interpersonal skills also play a role in developing your intrapersonal intelligence. When you are aware of your needs and wants and can effectively communicate them to others, you create an aura of efficiency that not just benefits you but also encircles others around you. Enrich your lifestyle by knowing yourself a bit more and a bit better.
“If you believe in yourself, if you believe in your ability, if you believe there is a higher power guiding you, I tell you, there is nothing that can shake you! No loss, no defame, nothing, because you are self-reliant.”
~ Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
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Art of Living
The Art of Living is an educational and humanitarian movement engaged in stress-management and service initiatives. The organization operates globally in 152 countries and has touched the lives of over 370 million people.
