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The recent Olympics 2000 in Sydney, Australia give a vivid illustration of the benefits and effects of people using their Spiritual Intelligence. For two weeks 17 million people overcame the most horrendous logistical problems, put aside personal considerations in order to care for others, handled all kinds of stress, and in four million individual cases, volunteered their time, money and energy to celebrate human achievement. Commentators from around the world were ‘gob smacked’ at the sight and sound of people forming spontaneous choirs on trains, boats and airplanes; of everyone helping everyone else; and of the continuous, almost hypnotic spirit of cheerfulness and playfulness that pervaded the entire country.
This was an example of an entire country, itself composed of many races, religions and creeds, hosting those from the entire planet and succeeding, miraculously, in creating a momentary paradise-on-earth.
Case History – Diana, Princess of Wales
The shared outpouring of public grief at the death of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997 was seen by some as a worrying manifestation of the power of celebrity and how the emptiness of some people’s lives led them to attach themselves to popular icons, living their lives vicariously through them. While that is one way of looking at it, there is a more Spiritually Intelligent view of the events – that people overcame their differences to share their grief for a woman who had done so much to help others through her charity work that she had become a symbol of hope and compassion.
Diana will be remembered by millions the world over for her high-profile stand on the use of land mines, and her compassion for AIDS patients. Although she suffered personal problems, she reached out to others in greater need and, by her example, she inspired others to do likewise.
Far from ‘going to hell in a hand-basket’, the world in which you live is undergoing a wonderful period of spiritual growth. This spiritual power that you, your family, friends and all of us have, is infinite. This book is designed to help you tap into that power, and to use it for your own and others’ good.
‘We cannot teach people anything; we can only help them discover it within themselves.’
(Galileo Galilei)
The Power of Spiritual Intelligence – An Overview
The ten chapters of The Power of Spiritual Intelligence deal with the ‘Ten Graces’ that combine to form Spiritual Intelligence.
Chapter 1 – Getting the ‘Big Picture’
In this chapter I will demonstrate to you that you are a miracle, and you will learn some incredible facts about you and your relationship with the universe. Each one of us has a tangible effect and impact on history, and you will read the thoughts of some of the world’s greatest thinkers about yourself, about your amazing capacities, and about your power.
Chapter 2 – Exploring Your Values
Your values and principles determine your behaviour, and have a massive effect on the probability of your success in life. By applying the lessons you will learn, you will, literally, improve your own and your friends’ chances of survival! In this chapter I shall explore the establishment and development of these principles, and will introduce you to thoughts of Buddha, Muhammad and others on this subject.
Chapter 3 – Your Life Vision and Purpose
In Chapter 3 you will be introduced to the power of your vision and your ability to plan. By applying this power you will be able to transform your life for the better. For this purpose I will provide you with a special technique that I have used to help Olympic athletes, business people, and tens of thousands of others world-wide who were seeking to increase their probability of success.
With a clear and defined purpose, your life will gain meaning and direction, and you will become healthier, stronger and more confident.
Chapter 4 – Compassion: Understanding Yourself and Others
Chapter 4 will explore further the ‘Amazing You’. I will show you games and exercises that will demonstrate to you how creative and unique you are. These same exercises will reveal to you all the spiritual qualities you share in common with the rest of humanity.
You will also be introduced to the thoughts of great spiritual leaders on compassion and understanding such as Gandhi, and the reflections of John Donne, Muhammad Ali, Nelson Mandela and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Each of these will help you develop your own Compassion and Understanding.
Chapter 5 – Give and Receive! Charity and Gratitude
When you learn the twin graces of Charity and Gratitude, you multiply your Spiritual Intelligence several-fold. Your soul learns to breathe in (gratitude) and to breathe out (charity). One of the richest men of the 19th century, Andrew Carnegie, is a wonderful example of these qualities.
By applying the lessons of this chapter, you will become spiritually stronger and healthier, while at the same time becoming more nurturing, gentle and kind.
Chapter 6 – The Power of Laughter
Laughter is a vital quality of Spiritual Intelligence, and benefits you in many ways, including reducing stress levels and generally leading to a more cheerful and happier life. Research also demonstrates that laughter can help you live a longer and healthier life. You should end this chapter one ‘happy bunny’!
Chapter 7 – Onward to the Child’s Playground
How can it be beneficial to become like a child again? You will find out in this chapter! Investigations have shown that the more Spiritually Intelligent you become, the more the childlike qualities of innocence, cheerfulness, joyfulness, spontaneity, enthusiasm and adventure increase in your life.
Chapter 8 – The Power of Ritual
How do you improve your spiritual and emotional stability, reduce your stress, become more persistent and determined and, as a result, stronger and more confident?
Is there a magic formula? Yes! It’s called ritual, and in this chapter you will learn some important lessons from Indian Yogis. You will finish the chapter knowing how to create your own rituals, and appreciating the incredible effect they have on your brain, body and spirit.
Chapter 9 – Peace
The modern world can provide a lot of ‘negative vibes’ – accumulated stress, jangled nerves and mental clutter. For your survival, both spiritual and otherwise, it is essential to learn techniques to reduce and to eliminate stress, and to cultivate an internal environment that is calm, tranquil and serene. In this chapter I will guide you, with the help of the Maharishi and Confucius, among others, toward that state in which you will be free from mental disturbance, anxiety and distress.
Chapter 10 – All You Need Is Love!
In this the final chapter you will be introduced to the ultimate power – the Power of Love. You will read stories of adventure, trial and tribulation, death and hope, and will be given techniques and approaches to ease suffering, pain and despair.
The Power of Spiritual Intelligence is designed to be stimulating, informative, practical and fun. Each chapter comprises: a definition of each ‘Grace’ or quality being described, and how it will benefit you in your day-to-day life; stories to inspire and guide you in developing your Spiritual Intelligence; and words of wisdom to give you good food for your spiritual thought. There are also Spiritual Workouts in each chapter, with practical games and advice to help you strengthen the particular aspect of Spiritual Intelligence being discussed.
An additional feature is Spiritual Intelligence ‘Spirit Boosters’, to increase the power of the workouts, which take the form of ‘Intentions’ and ‘Affirmations’ that you can repeat to yourself on a regular basis. They will help you refine and strengthen your purpose in life, and by repetition, will reinforce these synaptic connections in your brain, thus increasing your mental and spiritual power.
The Spirit Boosters have been carefully worded to protect you from the many pitfalls that ‘false positive thinking’ can get you into. Their purpose is to keep:
your body grounded
your mind clear
your soul rooted
your energy flowing
your Spiritual Intelligence and your life continuously enhanced.
The Power of Spiritual Intelligence also includes Mind-Maps
– colourful, graphic learning tools that I have spent my life developing. They are brilliant route-maps for the memory, allowing you to organize facts and thoughts in such a way that the brain’s natural way of working is engaged right from the start. Within the chapters there will be examples of and reference to Mind-Maps
, as well as exercises in which Mind-Maps
will be used to enhance and develop your Spiritual Intelligence.
By following the ideas contained in this book, you will be able to enhance and develop your Spiritual Intelligence. To give you some idea of your progress along your spiritual path, try answering the following questions; and then come back to them when you have finished the book!
1 Do you feel ‘at one’ with nature? YES/NO
2 Are you playful? YES/NO
3 Do people consider you childlike (not childish)? YES/NO
4 Do you like children? Do they respond truly to you? YES/NO
5 Are you known to be sympathetic to the problems of others? YES/NO
6 Do people come to you for help with personal, ethical or spiritual problems? YES/NO
7 Do you enjoy all kinds of weather? YES/NO
8 Do you dislike many kinds of weather (cold, heat, rain)? YES/NO
9 Do you like animals? Do they respond truly to you? YES/NO
10 Do you go out of your way to kill flies, bugs and ‘creepie crawlies’? YES/NO
11 Do you believe honesty is the best policy? YES/NO
12 Do you believe the human race has a true purpose? YES/NO
13 Do you believe charity and charitable work is only for ‘do-gooders’? YES/NO
14 Do you often experience feelings of awe and wonder? YES/NO
15 Do you have moments of great joy? YES/NO
16 Do you have feelings of oneness with all round you? YES/NO
17 Do you regularly pray or meditate? YES/NO
18 Do questions about the purpose of life, the nature of good and evil, and the relationship of humans to the universe intrigue or excite you? YES/NO
19 Do you like the ‘sound of silence’? YES/NO
20 Do you care for our planet? YES/NO
21 Do you love yourself? YES/NO
22 Do you pick up your rubbish? YES/NO
23 Do you feel there is an individual or some power/energy greater than you? YES/NO
24 Are you hopeful? YES/NO
25 Are you enthusiastic? YES/NO
26 Are you compassionate? YES/NO
27 Are you grateful for your life? YES/NO
28 Are you respectful and considerate of others? YES/NO
29 Are you creative? YES/NO
‘Men go abroad to wonder at the height of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the oceans, at the circular motion of the stars; and they pass by themselves without wondering.’
(St. Augustine)
The first principle of Spiritual Intelligence is the realization that you are a miracle and are wonderful! There is no doubt about it, and you should hold yourself, and others, in awe. Each one of us is more precious, valuable, rare, beautiful and priceless than the most precious and rare ruby or diamond.
A miracle is defined as any ‘amazing or wonderful’ thing or event, or ‘a person or thing that is a marvellous example of something’ – as in ‘a miracle of design’. The word ‘miracle’ derives from the Latin miraculum, a wonder, or wonderful thing. You cannot argue – all the evidence supports the fact that you are amazing. Consider the miracle of your own engineering:
your body is made up of 200 intricately sculptured and mechanically perfect bones; 500 muscles with billions of muscle fibres, and seven miles-worth of nerve fibres to keep it all co-ordinated
your eyes, ears, nose, skin and mouth are each so sensitive and complex that scientists are at a loss to explain how they all work, let alone replicate their functions adequately
your heart is the most amazing mechanical pump yet devised, beating an average of 36 million times every single year of your life
your brain contains a million, million brain cells – equivalent to 167 times the population of the planet – each single one of which is more powerful than the standard personal computers we are relying on more and more!
We also know that you are more unique and more different from each other person on earth than any snowflake is from its fellows.
Moreover, we know that the atoms of which you are made come from the stars. You are, in the very real sense of the word, a Starchild!
Each one of us is capable of the most amazing feats of courage, endurance, heroism and sacrifice, as well, unfortunately, as the worst excesses of greed, selfishness, depravity and cruelty – this is the miracle of being human.
‘Be humble for you are made of earth.
Be noble for you are made of stars.’
(Serbian Proverb)
The Bigger Picture
A common activity for young children all over the planet, who are just beginning to explore the wider dimensions of their world, is to send a letter to a friend or pen pal, addressing it as follows:
My friend Jane Fitzgerald,
16 Paradise Street,
London,
England,
Europe,
The World,
The Milky Way,
The Universe.
