If we didn't ask questions

Human nature makes many people inquisitive.  From childhood, we ask our parents why the sun shines, why it rains or why it snows. We ask why its time for bed or why we must get up and go to school. We ask why we must finish the food on our plates when we'd rather not. We ask why we have to try to go to the toilet before a trip or why we can't stop when we're 'almost there.' We ask why we can't have something someone else already does, why we're treated differently than a sibling.

And, later in life? During adolescence, we ask our friends why someone does or doesn't like us, why someone does or doesn't wish to be our date for a dance. We ask prospective employers why they won't hire us or why we can't get paid more for babysitting overtime. We ask why we didn't make a sports team or the cheerleading squad. We ask why we can't extend curfew, go to sleep later and grow up faster.

Later still, as adults, many people ask why they don't experience the fruits of their labor or why the car happens to run out of gas on the side of the highway. People also ask why they can't seem to meet prince (or princess) charming, or the right people in the right places. They also ask why they had to end up in their conditions, why they couldn't be blessed with a different 'lot' in life. Older people ask why they they can't look and feel younger. Sick people ask why can't they just die to end their illness or, find another way to put themselves painlessly out of their misery.

If we didn't ask questions at all, if we became content where we are, doing whatever we're doing, then, what would happen? We wouldn't be asking why, but we could be grateful to just be. We could rethink the value of 'here and now.'

What is your IQ?

Many people measure intelligence by way of traditional psychological tests. Yet, why is it that the American with the highest I.Q. supposedly lives in a trailer park and has worked as a bouncer during the last ten years? Why is it that the American individual with the second highest I.Q. also works in a bar and doesn't live the lifestyle standard you may associate with high intelligence?

And then, turn to someone like Thomas Alva Edison. He was an inventor who holds almost 2000 patents even after his death. Would you be amazed to learn he was expelled from elementary school for being considered stupid? Leonardo Da Vinci was seen as an anti-social recluse. He hid away from the world because he didn't think like anyone else. He was ostracized. Yet, remind yourself of his contributions to Humanity, from preliminary designs for flying machines and detailed examination of human anatomy, to applications of complex mathematics and cosmology. Would devising such ideas, long before their time, really reflect a lack of intelligence?

The former examples bring to light that human beings indeed have the potential to develop different kinds of intelligence. In a given era, societies establish standards for intelligence that ignore everyone doesn't learn the same way. Consider home-schooled children who learn outside traditional institutions. Consider artists, pioneers and other individuals who don't fit into traditional categories. Does this reflect short-sightedness or an inability to see beyond intelligence we think we know?

You might know people who are very smart about some subjects and yet, appear hopeless in other ways. A gourmet chef may have no idea how to repair a broken-down car. An olympic medalist may excel in sport yet, struggle to develop lasting relationships. A self-taught accountant who is brilliant alone may struggle in team settings. Some people learn easier through visualization and practical experiences. Other people learn better through repetition and regurgitation. None of these cases implies stupidity. They simply point out that everyone isn't gifted in every way.

Intelligence is quantified and qualified. You can develop emotional intelligence to better relate to and empathize with people. You can develop technical intelligence which might empower you to effectively repair machinery or design software. You might develop spiritual intelligence which permits you to connect with other realms. Varied talents could be understood as different kinds of intelligence. Intellectual intelligence is but one view of learning. Why assume one kind of perceived intelligence is better than another? Maybe its not. Maybe you're brainwashed.

In order to survive, no matter where you live, you need to develop 'life skills.' They include things like the ability to adapt, to develop versatility, to gain insight into emotion and diplomacy (sense when and how to say 'the right thing'). People who realize their views of success are known by qualities such as compassion, accountability, having respect for themselves and others, and listening to instincts which guide their evolution.

No limit may exist for the potential of our intelligence. Each of us may learn new things. Whether you connect with inner passions or act to build on your perceived IQ is up to you. Even if submolecular time travel is your vision, go for it! After all, naysayers didn't stop the invention of telephones, cars, airplanes and many other things that help people. Believe in your potential. Accept yourself. Redefine your I.Q.

Guest blog writer on Catherine's blog this week

I've been invited to write guest posts this week on Catherine Morgan's blog "Be the Change You Wish to see in Yourself." 

Catherine is a nurse and mother in Florida who loves to write about uplifting topics.  She has a few blogs that encourage us to rethink life and the reasons behind our perception of the world.   Take some time to discover new ways to explore what you thought you already knew and more!

http://catherinemarie.wordpress.com/

Willingness to change

People will approach you and ask whether you are successful. You may ask yourself what this really means.  Are you being judged based on someone else's view of success or, will you define what it means and evolve into this image yourself? If the latter is true, what does the image look like?

I wait for you to tell me your views on success.  Consider the words you choose, the thoughts that go through your mind, the actions you take and feel willing to take to evolve.  What will you decide?  You determine how you will turn out and whether you aim to feel more successful.  As you imagine what success would be like, evoke all your senses.  Make it real.  Be brave.  Explain what forms success will take.

No self-help book or other inspirational tool can predict your future unless you happen to be the author, and you choose to learn from your experiences.  No person you meet exists to predict your future, or the outcomes of your current conditions.  If you were asking me to foresee how your life will evolve, I wouldn't be so bold as to suggest concrete paths or experiences.  Yet, I would invite you to go inside yourself.  Probe your thoughts and feelings. What do you tell yourself?  Did you ever realize that every choice you make is a clue to predicting your own future?

It's up to you to learn to listen and be honest with yourself.  As your intution and conscience speak to you, it makes sense to digest and apply what you hear.  If your inner voice encourages you to follow a certain line of study or work, regardless of what people around you advise, you need to pursue what feels right.  If you feel drawn to write to certain companies or politicians to express a grievance or another view, then taking action would be part of your vision of fulfillment. 

You define and refine your views of success.  Are you willing to adapt to whatever life throws you?   As you send out positive energy, this will bounce back in  your direction in various forms.  If you send out negative vibes, you may feel parallel consequences.  Why not expect the best? Learn to plan and recognize it. Will you choose to connect with your potential, your abilities, how you empower and teach others, and also learn yourself? Imagine anything is possible.  Create a new reality.

You are exactly where you are supposed to be.  You are experiencing exactly what you need to.  Continue to learn useful things about yourself and the world. Life and success will be what you determine. Reflecting on this will enable you to get your mind wrapped around your attitude. 

3 Things to do before your die

A new Australian television show examines weird and wonderful things individuals aspire to experience before they die.  Many of these ideas involve adventure sports or pushing themselves mentally or physically to their perceived limits.  What about intangibles like experiencing true love, success and fulfillment? What do these options say to you? Do you have other ideas?

1) Make a pilgrimage. The destination might be a traditional one such as Jerusalem or Rome or Mecca. It might be a site of prehistoric rituals, like Stonehenge, Tibet or Machu Picchu.  Nature-lovers may head to the African savanna, Alaska, the Canadian Rockies, Victoria Falls, Amazonian rain forest or Antarctica.  Music-lovers may dream of Athens or Bayreuth. Find yourself.  Do what comes naturally. 

2) Feel like part of something bigger, something that touches your soul. The reward will be a precious, immeasurable moment, whether it's hearing the "Gloria" at St. Peter's or watching a penguin take its first step in the Southern Hemisphere. Explore those things that make you feel truly alive.  Dabble in creative pursuits or follow your spirit.  Where you choose to go and what you choose to do are guided by how you feel.

3) Eat a memorable meal. When the end comes for you, there is a distinct possibility that you will be in no position to enjoy your preferred foods.  Yet, if you plan ahead, you will not pass on wondering what certain things would taste like.  Where will this meal be served? Who would prepare it? Perhaps you desire to learn to prepare it yourself?  Go that extra mile and then some.