The difference between being smart and being wise. We can have a great ability to learn new things, or pick up on concepts quickly. But if this ability isn’t coordinated with the more subtle development of managing emotions with the intellect – being wise, our goals can be thwarted and relationships can become strained. Resilient mental conditions are required for success, and they come from a different kind of training: the ability to take in knowledge, to self-reflect, to assimilate and transform oneself.
The importance of cultivating an intellect. There are distinct differences between intelligence and intellect. Intelligence is the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills from external sources of information. Intelligence can make us well informed in subjects that we study, developed outside of ourselves. The intellect is the faculty of reasoning and understanding objectively, developed within ourselves. A strong intellect enables us to think in a logical way or to become more self-aware. For example, our intellect leads us to reflect when we become angry, and to understand our reactions so that we can adapt our responses to any given situation. Assimilating better ways of reacting makes us wiser, and wisdom can be described as knowledge that is lived. A strong intellect can be cultivated to control the erratic habits of the mind that make us feel stressed and worn down.
These three intellectual attributes are required for achieving success:
- Concentration: The mind is what backs up our intelligence. Concentration is required in order for the intellect to get focus. It’s simple, but without sustained concentration, there is no retention, and without retention it’s very hard to assimilate or transform our experiences into wisdom. The scattered mind can create frustrating situations that keep repeating themselves.
- Consistency: With sustained focus, we can achieve consistency, the ability to adhere to principles, to stay the course, to be strong, and to be resilient. A strong intellect can maintain the right actions. It is impossible to remain solid and firm if we can’t be consistent. To achieve our goals, we need to consistently align our aspirations with our actions, which engenders confidence and good mental health.
“We are what we repeatedly do, excellence is not an act but a habit” ~ Aristotle
- Cooperation: No man is an island. Almost every goal we work for involves some level of cooperation with someone else. Our endeavors will have no power and there will be no strength in our actions unless efforts are pooled. When we learn to cooperate, there is dynamic action. Cooperation requires putting our ego aside and developing a less individualistic perspective. It’s easy to get caught up in our own views, but it takes constant training to see that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Because the mind has strong likes and dislikes, cooperation requires putting these individualistic tendencies aside. A well-developed intellect can be strong enough to hold the mind, putting personal desires in perspective.
For upcoming Mindfulness Events and workshops please visit:http://mindsana.com/events/categories/transforming-emotions/ or visit our website: www.mindsana.com for tips and guided meditations.