Saturday, July 20, 2013

9 Foods That Will Boost Your Energy And Make You Active


Jogging And Being Active
Feeling low on energy? You might be lacking the essential minerals and vitamins. Here is a selection of top 9 foods for boosting your energy and being more active to get through your busy day.


Banana
An excellent post workout recovery food item, banana is a simple carbohydrate but an instant energy source. They are also an excellent source of potassium – reduced level of potassium in the body can result in physical weakness. The sugars found in banana can be digested quickly and converted right into energy for your body.
Lentils
Lentils must be a staple part of your daily diet. They’re rich in amino-acids, protein, minerals and vitamins, and can replace rice or pasta in almost any recipe. Lentils are also rich in fiber that keeps you at the peak of satiety and doesn’t allow glucose levels to rise to higher level. Give your lunch salad an energy boost by adding a cupful of cooked red kidney-beans or garbanzo beans.

OatmealOatmeal
Oatmeal is one of the primary energy boosting foods. Without butter and brown sugar, oatmeal is a good complex carbohydrate. It helps control your blood glucose levels and also keep your tummy fuller for a long time. Also, it has B vitamins that are known for improving the levels of body energy. Having said that, oatmeal would certainly add more energy to your day; the optimum time to eat oat meal is before 11-a.m.
Eggs
One of the food items that a lot of people undervalue as a major source of energy is eggs. Eggs are rich in protein, amino acids and omega-3 essential fatty acids, which are vital for muscle growth, a powerful immune system, brain power and equilibrium of fluids in the body. Eggs are also one of the top high energy foods because they contain more than 10 key nutrients that are essential for your body.
Walnuts
Walnuts are one of the best plant protein sources. They are usually regarded as “brain-food”, not just because of the wrinkled look of the shells, but also because of the higher concentration of omega-3 essential fats. A fistful of walnuts in your daily diet will certainly boost the energy levels. Walnuts are also a good source of fiber, bone-building calcium, and several other essential nutrients that your body requires in order to function effectively and have ample amount of energy.

ChocolateDark Chocolate
Sources of energy don’t have to be tasteless and lack luster as many energy sources taste really sweet. One such amazing energy source is dark chocolate. Dark chocolate is filled with heart-healthy anti-oxidants. Additionally, it consists of caffeine, which is a stimulant that helps keep your body alert and improve metabolism. If you go for dark chocolate as an energy source, then be sure to you buy organic dark chocolate, that’s free of dairy. At the same time, eat dark chocolate in moderation for best results.
Coconut Water
Coconut water isn’t a solid food; however, it’s one of the most inexpensive and valuable sources of energy. It is often known as “natural energy drink”. It’s full of vital vitamins and minerals, such as potassium along with lauric acid. The potassium supplies the body with the nutrients and electrolytes that replenish the body. Lauric acid is useful in accelerating a person’s metabolic process and providing an energy boost. Additionally, coconut water is low in sugar, fat as well as sodium content.

Yogurt
Yogurt
Yogurt is a yummy, filling treat that is now available in a range of flavors. For desserts, you should try eating low fat yogurt instead of something that’s high in sugar. Yogurt contains calcium, vitamin B-12 and protein; all of these are quite good for your overall body health. It’s also able to convert nutrients directly into energy.
Green Smoothies/Shakes
Get the energy packing power of leafy greens, yogurt bananas, apples and combine it with some other fruits you like, and now you have got a wake up call just in a glass. Kale and spinach are the most favorite for green smoothies as their mild flavor is either masked or complemented by the flavor of the fruits.

Change Your Thoughts and Change Your Life Part 1

WAYNE W. DYER, PH.D., is an internationally renowned author and speaker in the field of self-development. He's the author of over 30 books, has created many audio programs and videos, and has appeared on thousands of television and radio shows. 

This video he talks about the Tao and how to live with it. Part 1

Change Your Thoughts and Change Your Life Dr Wayne Dyer Part 2

WAYNE W. DYER, PH.D., is an internationally renowned author and speaker in the field of self-development. He's the author of over 30 books, has created many audio programs and videos, and has appeared on thousands of television and radio shows. 

This video he talks about the Tao and how to live with it. Part 2

5 Steps To Transforming Your Mind

For most of us, change is excruciatingly hard. We're creatures of habit. We like to find a system or method of doing things and sticking to it until becomes second nature. And we don't have to think about it. And once we find a system, we don't want to change under any circumstances.
Even if the way we're doing things are inefficient, slow or costly!
Even if there is a more efficient, faster and less expensive way of doing something, we many times refuse to change and cling to the familiar! Many of us won't change unless forced to.
The New Economic Reality
Most of us are familiar with the economic situation in the last eight to 10 years. We know the good old days of near full employment are over. Many of the jobs we thought we could depend on are gone forever. Even in the information technology sector where I work, jobs are going over sees to the lowest bidder. When employees leave or retire, most of the jobs are not filled. "We're doing more with less" as the cliche goes.
We live in a world were depending on one income can be a financial disaster. However, many of us still think our jobs will be around forever and aren't prepared for the future, which is right now. In today's economic climate, you have to be willing to learn new skills, adapt to new ways of doing things and find other ways of making money.
Many of us seek part-time employment in addition to our full-time jos. Not a bad idea but sometimes part-time jobs can lead to more stress, more hours away from home and more time away from family. The whole point of working a part-time job is to supplement your current income.
After a while, the return on investment of your time away from family and home and the relatively little increase income doesn't seem worth it. So many of us decided to start home businesses.
But to be successful at an home business, you must change or transform your way of thinking.
Transforming Your Mind
For years, I tried to run my home business like a hobby. I would sell or market my business when ever the urge hit me. And I've tried many home business but I wasn't successful because I didn't run my at home business like a business.
I could not escape the "working mentality." Like most of us, I was raised to go to school, get an education and get a good job. So I expected to put in some time and magically some money would appear. When the money didn't appear after a few weeks or a month, I would say the business didn't work.
Couldn't seem to wrap my head around the fact that you have to put in time, money and effort into your business consistently. Sometimes it takes months before you start making money because in many cases it takes that long to change your mindset.
What it Takes To Change Your Mindset
Change is not easy. If it were, most people would do it pretty easily. Change must intentional. You must make a conscious effort to change the way you do things before it becomes second nature. You might revert back to your old ways sometimes but as long make the effort to change, you will.
As I sat down and thought about how I've had to change my mindset over the past year, I thought of seven steps that has enabled to slowly change from an employee mindset to a business owner mindset. Here are the steps below:
  • Change your associations - As the whole saying goes, birds of the same feather flock together. If you want to be a business person, you might want to hang around business people. If you want to stop a negative behavior, you have to disassociate yourself from those people. Not always easy because some of those bad associations may be friends and family.

  • Change what you listen to - I get on my kids all the time about wrap music. I tell them "garbage in, garbage out." If you listen to negative people, music, words, etc. Those words will become part of you. Conversely, if you listen to positive words, inspirational music and listen to positive people, you will see how your mind changes over time.

  • Change what you view - I've pretty much stop listening to the news. It's all negative. Everything happening in the world isn't negative but that's what sells and captures people's attention. You have a choice over what you see. Look at educational DVDs, television shows and books. Your view of the world will be positive and you will see the world from a positive point of view.

  • Change the places you go - I remember wanting to stop drinking and cursing as much. Well, I had to stop going to night clubs and bars. No matter how strong willed you are, if you hang around places where people smoke and drink, chances are, you're going to smoke and drink. If you want to change your behavior, you have to stay away from those places and/or hang around more positive places such as church, supportive family and friends, or get involved in community events.

  • Change what you think about - This may seem a bit vague but what I mean by changing what you think about is focus on things outside of yourself. Focus on helping or serve others. Take your mind off the negative and try to see the positive in situations. Think on things that will positively impact someone. Focus on ideas that has helped you and can help others in a positive way.
Understand that changing or transforming your mind is a PROCESS. Chances are, it's not going to happen overnight. Change is hard but necessary if you're going to achieve the goals you set out for yourself.
Image is courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

How To Be Happy

Find your happiness in seven simple steps! VideoJug consulted with leading researchers and psychologists to learn the secrets to finding - and keeping - your happiness.

Good old days video how to be happy, still actual...

9 Daily Habits That Will Make You Happier

These minor changes in your daily routine will make a major difference in your life and career.
Happy
Happiness is the only true measure of personal success. Making other people happy is the highest expression of success, but it's almost impossible to make others happy if you're not happy yourself.
With that in mind, here are nine small changes that you can make to your daily routine that, if you're like most people, will immediately increase the amount of happiness in your life:

1. Start each day with expectation.

If there's any big truth about life, it's that it usually lives up to (or down to) your expectations. Therefore, when you rise from bed, make your first thought: "something wonderful is going to happen today." Guess what? You're probably right.

2. Take time to plan and prioritize.

The most common source of stress is the perception that you've got too much work to do.  Rather than obsess about it, pick one thing that, if you get it done today, will move you closer to your highest goal and purpose in life. Then do that first.

3. Give a gift to everyone you meet.

I'm not talking about a formal, wrapped-up present. Your gift can be your smile, a word of thanks or encouragement, a gesture of politeness, even a friendly nod. And never pass beggars without leaving them something. Peace of mind is worth the spare change.

4. Deflect partisan conversations.

Arguments about politics and religion never have a "right" answer but they definitely get people all riled up over things they can't control. When such topics surface, bow out by saying something like: "Thinking about that stuff makes my head hurt."

5. Assume people have good intentions.

Since you can't read minds, you don't really know the "why" behind the "what" that people do. Imputing evil motives to other people's weird behaviors adds extra misery to life, while assuming good intentions leaves you open to reconciliation.

6. Eat high quality food slowly.

Sometimes we can't avoid scarfing something quick to keep us up and running. Even so, at least once a day try to eat something really delicious, like a small chunk of fine cheese or an imported chocolate. Focus on it; taste it; savor it.

7. Let go of your results.

The big enemy of happiness is worry, which comes from focusing on events that are outside your control. Once you've taken action, there's usually nothing more you can do. Focus on the job at hand rather than some weird fantasy of what might happen.

8. Turn off "background" TV.

Many households leave their TVs on as "background noise" while they're doing other things. The entire point of broadcast TV is to make you dissatisfied with your life so that you'll buy more stuff. Why subliminally program yourself to be a mindless consumer?

9. End each day with gratitude.

Just before you go to bed, write down at least one wonderful thing that happened. It might be something as small as a making a child laugh or something as huge as a million dollar deal. Whatever it is, be grateful for that day because it will never come again.

Guided Meditation - Blissful Deep Relaxation

This guided meditation will gently ease you into a state of blisfully deep relaxation. Enjoy and get relaxed !!!

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

How to Charm a Complete Stranger

These techniques worked for an FBI agent charged with building rapport with spies and criminals, so surely they'll work on your customers and co-workers.

Vivian Chen/Flick
We all know the feeling: you want to meet someone -- maybe it’s that pretty person across the party, maybe it’s that big-time player in your industry -- but actually going up to him or her and moving from total stranger to warm connection just seems so stressful and awkward. As a result you sit on on the sidelines and let opportunity pass you by.  

Wouldn’t it be great if you could unlock the mysteries of charm and learn the secrets of building rapport so starting a relationship wouldn’t be so daunting?
That’s just what Robin Dreeke claims to be able to teach. A 15-year veteran of the FBI, Dreeke’s speciality was building relationships (often with rather unsavoury characters) and getting them to open up to him. In short, the federal government paid him to make fast friends with spies and criminals. Now he writes books sharing what he learned so you can connect not with villains, but with sales prospects, job candidates and perhaps even potential dates.
So what are his top rapport building-secrets? Consistently fascinating blog Farnam Street recently rounded them up, offering the top ten takeaways from Dreeke's book It’s Not All About Me. Some, like smiling, you’re probably doing already. Others are ninja-level charm techniques, such as:

Establishing Artificial Time Constraints. I suspect you’ve sat in a bar at one point or another and been approached by a stranger who tried to start a conversation. My guess is you felt awkward or possibly even uncomfortable. This is because you didn’t know when or if the conversation would end. "The first step in the process of developing great rapport and having great conversations is letting the other person know that there is an end in sight, and it is really close."


Ego Suspension. This may be the most rewarding and most difficult of all of Robin’s techniques. "Suspending your ego is nothing more complex than putting other individuals’ wants, needs, and perceptions of reality ahead of your own. Most times, when two individuals engage in a conversation, each patiently waits for the other person to be done with whatever story he or she is telling. Then, the other person tells his or her own story, usually on a related topic and often times in an attempt to have a better and more interesting story. Individuals practicing good ego suspension would continue to encourage the other individual to talk about his or her story, neglecting their own need to share what they think is a great story."
Ask … How? When? Why? It’s hard to answer these questions with a simple yes or no. "Once the individual being targeted in the conversation supplies more words and thought, a great conversationalist will utilize the content given and continue to ask open ended questions about the same content. The entire time, the individual being targeted is the one supplying the content of the conversation." This means suppressing your ego and listening to what people are saying. You’re not thinking about what you’re going to say next. You’re not thinking about how the person is wrong.
http://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/how-to-charm-a-stranger.html?nav=featured

Monday, July 15, 2013

20 Motivational Quotes To Destroy Your Doubts & Build You Up

Great Motivational Quotes can be the fuel to your fire when things are getting tough. We believe that everybody needs a motivational reminder during challenging times, even if you are well accomplished.
The following collection of motivational quotes will inspire you and remind you that we all have the power inside of us to achieve amazing and wonderful things.

20 Motivational Quotes To Build You Up


Denis Waitley Motivational Quote


“The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don’t define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them.” – Denis Watiley

Jane Smiley Motivational Quote


“In my experience, there is only one motivation, and that is desire. No reasons or principle contain it or stand against it.” – Jane Smiley

Diane Ackerman Motivational Quote


“I don’t want to get to the end of my life and find that I lived just the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well.” – Diane Ackerman

Jim Ryun Motivational Quote


“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” – Jim Ryun

Ella Wheeler Wilcox Motivational Quote


“There is no chance, no destiny, no fate, that can hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul.” – Ella Wheeler Wilcox

George Lorimer Motivational Quote


“You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.” – George Lorimer

Mike Gafka Motivational Quote


“To be successful you must accept all challenges that come your way. You can’t just accept the ones you like.” – Mike Gafka

Wayne Dyer Motivational Quote


“Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice.” – Wayne Dyer

Anatole France Motivational Quote


“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream, not only plan, but also believe.” – Anatole France

Dale Carnegie Motivational Quote


“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no help at all.” – Dale Carnegie

Booker T. Washington Motivational Quote


“You measure the size of the accomplishment by the obstacles you had to overcome to reach your goals.” – Booker T. Washington

Theodore N Vail Motivational Quote


“Real difficulties can be overcome; it is only the imaginary ones that are unconquerable.” –Theodore N. Vail

H. Ross Perot Motivational Quote


“Most people give up just when they’re about to achieve success. They quit on the one yard line. They give up at the last-minute of the game, one foot from a winning touchdown.” – H. Ross Perot

Washington Irving Motivational Quote


“Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune; but great minds rise above it.” – Washington Irving

Margaret Thatcher Motivational Quote


“You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.” – Margaret Thatcher

Vince Lombardi Motivational Quote


“A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done.” – Vince Lombardi

Og Mandino Motivational Quote


“So long as there is breath in me, that long I will persist. For now I know one of the greatest principles on success; if I persist long enough I will win.” – Og Mandino

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Motivational Quote


“Perseverance is a great element of success; if you only knock long enough and loud enough at the gate you are sure to wake up somebody.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Andrew Carnegie Motivational Quote


“The average person puts only 25% of his energy and ability into his work. The world takes off its hat to those who put in more than 50% of their capacity, and stands on its head for those few and far between souls who devote 100%.” - Andrew Carnegie

John Wooden Motivational Quote


“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” – John Wooden

Saturday, July 13, 2013

How To Overcome Laziness In 4 Steps

In this short video, you'll learn how you can overcome inaction (laziness) in four simple steps. The few minutes you invest in this process will save you infinitely more time in the long run, and the gains you can make in life by getting into positive and purposeful action can be the difference between a life of wishing that ultimately leads to regret, or a life of success and achievement, passion and fulfillment.

10 Powerful Tips To Overcome Laziness

We all have sky high dreams in our life. Many of us also know how to achieve it but fail to work hard and achieve our dreams. Have you ever noticed that we always have enough time to watch our favorite movie or play our favorite sport or go to our favorite restaurant but not enough time to clean our house or complete our office work or learn a new skill? We are simply lazy when it comes to doing some useful productive work.
 Personal growth is impossible without plenty of productive work from our side and one of the biggest challenges of being productive is laziness. Laziness is natural and normal human beings love to sit idle unless they are forced by circumstances to do otherwise. Is it possible to beat laziness and start working for our goals? Is it possible to be energetic all the time? Here are 7 powerful tips to overcome laziness:
1. Physical activity: Find at least 30 minutes for exercise every day. It will improve our blood circulation and will keep us active and energetic all the day. Simple low intensity exercises could cut fatigue by half and increase energy by at least 20%. Walking is the simplest way to increase your energy levels.
2. Eat sensibly: Excess food as well as unhealthy food will make us lazy. Take care to eat only when hungry and eat small chunks of healthy food. Try to avoid caffeine as much as possible.
3. Sleep well: We spend so much of our time on unproductive tasks that we often get very less sleep. This will again leave you lazy next day. Sleep at least 6-8 everyday. It will make us more energetic, active and productive.
4. Aim to minimize idle time: Observe yourself everyday and keep a mental record of your idle time. Try your level best to minimize it. Limit watching TV and browsing internet unnecessarily. You could decide not to watch a movie in TV which you have already watched before.
5. Keep a schedule: Writing is very boring but it is very effective. Write down all the tasks which you need to do and mark it as done as when and when each task is finished. It will remind us how unproductive we are and we could measure our improvement using it.
6. Take one bite at a time: Break down the tasks into manageable chunks. Take one chunk at a time and complete it. Huge tasks will create a mental block even before we start working on it. Each completed small task will motivate us to work on the next.
7. Reward yourself: Most often our dreams are so huge that we will get the results only after a long time. Till then we could reward ourselves for completing each stage or milestone. The reward could be your favorite meal or movie or dress.
8. Watch successful people around: Just look around and we could see many ordinary but successful people who succeeded only with their disciplined work. Observe what they are doing different and try to learn a lesson or two from them.
9. Challenge yourself: Continuous improvement is the key to success and we should challenge ourselves every day. We need to compete with ourselves everyday and measure the progress. Though we should learn from others, do not compare yourself with others since our objective is not to achieve something which is already achieved by others but to set new benchmarks.
10. Live your passion: This is one tip which virtually makes all other tips redundant. If we could find our passion and make it our career we no more need any other motivation to be energetic. Our passion will drive us forward and keep our energy levels up. If we are doing some job which we do not like, we should seriously think about finding and living our passion.
Pictures are courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

How To Be Successful : The 7 Secrets

7 Secrets of How To Be Successful

How to be successful Secret 1. Our thoughts create our experience of individual reality. 

How to be successful 2. Happiness is the step by step realization of our chosen goals and purpose in life.

How to be successful 3. Every great journey need THREE things for its completion

How to be successful 4. To be the best in your chosen field, you have to constantly gather SPECIFIC knowledge from the right books and teachers.

How to be successful 5. Being poor without choice is NOT spiritual. Its just a sign that there is a lot more to learn. 

How to be successful 6. When you keep offering better and better services to the world, the world rewards you with more and more money. 

How to be successful 7. Miracles are words we use when we don't understand the hidden laws that govern this Universe.

Supercharge your journey of success today! 

How to Get Everything You Want. Seriously

You'd like to be successful in everything you do, of course. Here's how to make it happen.
What successful people do to stand out
I've been very fortunate, both professionally and personally, and along the way learned seven key ways to help make it happen. In essence, I work to put others first, and to be more likeable, to end up with what I want in everything I do. I'll be writing about this in far more detail in my third book next year.Getting what you want in your career and in life isn't as difficult as it may seem. I mean it.
In the meantime, here's a sneak peak at how you can be successful in everything you do, too:
Listen First and Never Stop ListeningListening is the single-most important skill in professional and personal relationships. Ernest Hemingway said, "When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen." It's sad, but true: Most people have their own agenda and are too busy talking (or waiting to talk) to listen to you. So here's the paradox: If you, unlike most people, can truly listen with empathy, then people will like you--and eventually help you get what you want.
Help OthersIt's perhaps another paradox, but it works: When you want something from someone, instead of asking for it, help that person get what he or she wants. If you don't know what he or she wants, then simply ask, "How can I help you?" Since so many people are out to only help themselves, when you genuinely seek to help others succeed in their goals and dreams, you'll stand out. And those people you genuinely help will in turn fight to help you succeed and give you everything you want. Help others first, without expecting anything--and the returns will be enormous.
Be Yourself: Authentic, Transparent, and VulnerableOprah Winfrey stated, "I had no idea that being your authentic self could make me as rich as I’ve become. If I had, I’d have done it a lot earlier." Professionals, especially of an older generation, tend to have a tough time with authenticity and transparency in the workplace. People, especially men, tend to have a tough time being vulnerable, especially with people they don't know well. Many also aren't sure how much to reveal online, or at work, or to people they've just met. But, hard as these choices may be, authenticity, transparency, and vulnerability all breed trust. And when people trust you, they'll do anything for you. Open up to people, and take a chance, and you'll be rewarded.
Tell, Don't SellAs important as it is to listen and help others, in order to get what you want, eventually you've got to tell people what that is. But nobody wants to be sold to. So whether it's a product, service, idea, or yourself that you're trying to sell--give up on "selling." Instead, focus on telling a great story--captivating your audience, bringing to life what the future will bring, and painting a great picture of what will happen if you get what you want. When you get good at storytelling, people want to be part of that story--and they want to help others become part of that story too.
Inject Passion Into Every InteractionPassion is contagious, but so is lack of passion. If you're not passionate about what you're talking about, why should someone else care? If you want something, you must be more excited and dedicated to it than anyone else. If you're not passionate about it, maybe it's not really that important to you. Not everyone is super high-energy and extraverted, though these qualities can help convey passion in many cases. Passion and energy alone put me through college with my first job. But ultimately, you don't need to be bouncing off the walls to convince someone of something. You just need to reveal your true passion, in the way that's genuine for you.
Surprise and Delight OthersYou know how when you walk into a casino, there's always a slot machine going off somewhere in the background, telling the world that another person just hit a jackpot? This is what social psychologists call variable rewards. You don't know when you're going to win; you just have enough positive experiences that you feel excited, even when you're not winning. When you surprise and delight others, not only do you make them happy--you remind them that you're the type of person who might surprise and delight them soon again. Some classic examples: bringing home flowers to your wife for "no reason"; telling a customer his order will arrive next week but then overnighting it; and now, tweeting to a random prospect that she's won a free prize. If you go out of your way to make an experience with you special, especially when people least expect it, you will get huge results over time.
Use The Four Most Important Words in Business and LifeSay "I'm sorry" when you make a mistake and "thank you" as much as you can. These words are so simple, yet so often people overlook the importance of saying them. Everyone makes mistakes, and everyone knows that. It's not when you make a mistake that's a problem; it's when you make a mistake and are too proud or embarrassed to be vulnerable, fess up, and apologize. Just say "I'm sorry" and let another person forgive you, so you can move on, and eventually get what you want. Conversely, sincere gratitude to people is a powerful emotion to convey, and opens up many doors. I send three hand-written thank you cards every morning. I send them to staff, customers, vendors, the media, and friends, and not only do I find people love receiving cards, but writing "thank you" puts me in an incredible mindset to start my day. This is not just about sending cards, though. It's about having a deep appreciation for and wonder about the people and world around you.
http://www.inc.com/dave-kerpen/how-to-get-everything-you-want.html?nav=pop

CBS - Interview with Robin Sharma


8 Ways to Be Smarter

Intelligence isn't simply a fixed quantity, a learning expert explained in a talk recently. How smart we are is powerfully affected by our situation, and that's something we can control.
Somewhere along the way in life you’ve probably taken an IQ test and were give some number as an answer. That figure -- seemingly definitive and said to portray some inborn capacity -- may have given you the impression that your level of intelligence, no matter how high or low it might be, is a fixed quantity. You can learn, sure, but basically you’re only as smart as you were born to be, right?
But that’s not what the latest science actually says, learning expert and author Annie Murphy Paul recently explained in a speech, which she helpfully transcribed to her blog. Intelligence, it turns out, is way more complicated than that.

In the lengthy but fascinating talk, Murphy Paul lays out eight ways intelligence is affected by context in which we put it to use and suggests ways that we can rethink intelligence to get the best out of the brain we were born with. The complete speech is well worth a read if you’re interested in the subject, but to get your warmed up, here are the basic ideas she explores in greater detail in the complete post:

Situations can make us smarter. They can be the physical conditions that learners experience by way of how much stress they’re under and how much sleep and exercise they get, and the mental conditions learners create for themselves by the levels of expertise and attention and motivation they’re able to achieve. Situational intelligence, in other words, is the only kind of intelligence there is.

Beliefs can make us smarter. Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck distinguishes two types of mindsets: the fixed mindset, or the belief that ability is fixed and unchanging, and the growth mindset, or the belief that abilities can be developed through learning and practice. These beliefs matter because they influence how think about our own abilities, how we perceive the world around us, and how we act when faced with a challenge or with adversity.  

Expertise can make us smarter. Experts don’t just know more, they know differently, in ways that allow them to think and act especially intelligently within their domain of expertise... Expertise takes a long time to develop, of course, but it’s never too early--or too late--go deep in a subject area that interests us.

Attention can make us smarter. There are information-processing bottlenecks in the brain--everybody’s brain--that prevent us from paying attention to two things at the same time. The state of focused attention is a very important internal situation that we must cultivate in order to fully express our intelligence.

Emotions can make us smarter. When we’re in a positive mood, for example, we tend to think more expansively and creatively. When we feel anxious--for instance, when we’re about to take a dreaded math test--that anxiety uses up some of the working memory capacity we need to solve problems, leaving us, literally, with less intelligence.

Technology can make us smarter. The problem is that our devices so often make us dumber instead of smarter... In order for tech to make ourselves smarter and not dumber, we need understand when to take full advantage of our devices, and when to put them away.

Our bodies can make us smarter. All the things that make the heart work better--good nutrition, adequate sleep, regular exercise, moderate stress--make the brain work better too.

Relationships can make us smarter. If you have a spouse or significant other: it’s likely that one of you is “in charge” of remembering when the car needs to go in for inspection, while the other is “in charge” of remembering relatives’ birthdays. This is called transactive memory, and it’s just one of the ways that relationships with others can make us smarter than we would be on our own... a feeling of belonging is critical to the full expression of our ability.