Positive Intelligence

Today, I was sitting in a hot tub after swimming. Sun shone straight into the water. I noticed the bubbles jumping up and down like music notes.  I stayed still to stare at those vibrant “notes” for a while and realized that this was something I seldom do – sitting still and watching exceptional beauty. I contributed this observation to my new learning.

I  joined the Positive Intelligence program with a recommendation from my dear colleague, Atika Martinville. The program is based on the theory that when we practice positive intelligence activities daily and strengthen our mental muscles, our neuropathy gets rewired after seven weeks. By the end of the program, we can shift our mindset towards positivity more quickly and naturally.

Last week, we practiced paying particular attention to seeing, hearing, and touching.

This is the 2nd week of the program. I am in a pod with four other wonderful ladies. We meet on Mondays to support each other on the focus and practices of the week. We can connect with vulnerability, kindness, and acceptance in this newly formed team. I love the work and my pod!

This week’s homework is to observe my judgments, intercept them, shift reacting to pay attention to what is, and figure out what to do next with empathy, exploration, innovation, navigation, and decisive action.

Judgment – we can’t avoid it as human beings. We judge ourselves, others, and circumstances constantly. Without noticing our judgments, we are driven by them daily, and they can sabotage our life.

One judgment showed up in my interaction with my dad. I reacted to his brags. Then I judged myself for judging a 94-year-old whose brain was not clear. After a few minutes, I remembered to shift my judgment to empathy. Since bragging made him feel more worthy, I would listen to him quietly. I also gave myself grace for judging him since integrity is a high value of mine. That’s part of the homework – noticing the difference between judgment and discernment.

I also notice that I am in exploration mode more often than judging and reacting mode. Why and what has happened are less important than managing it now. So I focus more on problem-solving through creativity. It aligns with my engineering training and makes my brain happier.