Positive Intelligence….
Does that mean anything to you at this point?
I had absolutely no idea what it was about when I first heard about it but what I did quickly realise was that this might be the answer I was looking for when it comes to overcoming things that always seem to catch me out or reappear even when I think I’ve done all the hard inner work to sort things out already.
Here is an excerpt from the opening chapter of the book:
“Why are most New Year’s resolutions abandoned year after year? Why do most dieters succumb to yo-yo dieting? Why does that nagging and anxious voice in our head keep returning to torture us when we are trying to sleep? Why is our increased happiness so fleeting after we achieve what we thought would bring lasting happiness? Why do new leadership skills acquired in workshops soon give way to old habits? Why do expensive team-building retreats only result in temporary blips in team cohesion and performance?…
I find that astounding, don’t you? I mean, I think I had an inkling that there should be a way to stop this cycle of desperately trying new things that inevitably don’t stick around for as long as we would like them to. But this, genuinely shows us a way to embed that learning, and continue to be overcomers of the pesky things that trip us up.
“Current breakthrough research in neuroscience, organizational science, and positive psychology validates the principles of Positive Intelligence and the relationship between PQ and both performance and happiness. PQ measures the percentage of time that your brain is working positively (serving you) versus negatively (sabotaging you)…
Research on happiness confirms that people generally fall back to what social scientists call their “baseline happiness” levels shortly after events or accomplishments that significantly raise their happiness. This includes winners of large lotteries.”
We’ve all seen this happen, haven’t we? Someone ‘gets lucky’ but struggles to make it stick or is then on an extreme rollercoaster ride, trying to slot this newness into their existing life. It doesn’t last.
“Think about your own life. How lasting have your own increases in happiness been once you attained the things that you were certain would make you happier? Think about the many books you have read and the many trainings you have attended in hopes of increasing your own work performance or happiness. What percentage of those improvements lasted? Chances are, your own experience confirms that initial improvements typically fizzle or at least erode significantly. The question is, why? The key to the answer is one word: sabotage. Unless you tackle and weaken your own internal enemies—we’ll call them the Saboteurs—they will do their best to rob you of any improvements you make. Ignoring your Saboteurs is analogous to planting a beautiful new garden while leaving voracious snails free to roam. This is where Positive Intelligence can help.”
SO what on earth does Positive Intelligence actually involve if it’s claims are this big?!
What I love about it is that it’s not complicated. I think we want to believe it has to be complicated because otherwise, why would we not have heard about it or tried it yet? However that’s not to say you won’t find it hard. But that’s kind of the point too, isn’t it? We need to put the effort in, to build up some mental muscles that need regular exercise in order to grow – just as you would expect if you were going to a gym to improve your physical fitness. It requires a bit of work.
The journey begins with a 6 week (app based) programme, but this is something you can then use as a lifelong practise of being led by joy, wisdom and curiosity, instead of by fear, negativity and judgement. There’s so much more to say about this, but why not start with reading the book if you haven’t already. You can also read all about how Shirzad Chamine created the programme due to his lived experience of childhood trauma and what he’s been up to since, on his website: https://www.positiveintelligence.com/about/
And, as always, I always love a chat about all of this (or anything else you want!), so do get in touch to book a call and tell me what you think about all of this!
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