Love is a bird with two wings…

Por Marcia Poppe, em 13/11/2020.

“Love is a bird with two wings. One wing is wisdom, the other one is compassion. If either wing is broken, the bird cannot fly.”

Inspired by this Buddhist saying, author Cindy Wigglesworth defined her concept of Spiritual Intelligence: the ability to behave with wisdom and compassion, while maintaining inner and outer peace, regardless of the situation.

When you look at it from a behavioral perspective, SQ becomes more tangible and therefore, it is easier to understand that it can actually be developed and also measured. Have you ever wondered about where you are at this intelligence? What about emotional intelligence? Are you satisfied with your EQ competencies?

One beautiful thing about our human intelligences – it is widely accepted that we have more than just IQ – is their interdependency. In the work I develop I look closely at our 4 human dimensions, the physical (our body), the cognitive (our mind), the emotional (our heart) and the spiritual (our soul, our spirit) and therefore, making space for these 4 dimension’s intelligences to grow is essential. Developmental work in one of them, helps increase the others.

Spiritual Intelligence tends to be the last of our intelligences to be developed. According to Cindy Wigglesworth, we are not born spiritually intelligent, SQ exists as a potential in us. Some people will not choose to develop themselves to this point. It demands some Emotional Intelligence to become open to it and there is a lot of inner work that is precedent until you fully embody this beautiful and inspiring definition, to behave with wisdom and compassion in equanimity in the world. It all starts with self-awareness, which is basic for EQ development. Such as empathy, without which its highest level – compassion – can not emerge.

SQ amplifies our other Intelligences making us much more aware of our bodies, our senses, our emotions, of how we relate to others, to our work, to our thoughts, to nature, to the world. It is a never ending process and path that once you enter, you will not want to leave. So how about starting? Better late than never. Actually, it is never late. And it never ends, there is always room for improvement.

This brings again (and again) the question: why not keep developing ourselves, evolving consciously, transforming ourselves as adults?

This is a difficult question to answer, mainly because the answers aren’t at all logical. Development and the desire to grow require more than just logical thinking. Society, though, seems to ask of us only that kind of mindset. But what if we have a different kind of mindset? What if we feel differently? Doesn’t that questioning remind us of how wonderful it felt when we were children to have that huge desire to grow? What about remembering that? What about looking inside and reclaiming that wisdom? If you give it a try, I am sure you will benefit from it.

Human beings resist certain things, change is not always welcome. Even though not everyone will make the choice of continuous transformation, some of us will. There are a number of different ways of doing that and the SQ21™ model of Spiritual Intelligence offers an extremely fruitful one for people who wish to explore personal and spiritual growth. You will see it makes a difference. And you will make a difference.

Reach me here if you want to know more about SQ and how to begin your inner work. The SQ21 Assessment is an excellent place to start.