Muse, or Multiple Intelligences?

“She can’t be writing from her head! Someone is telling her stuff!”

“He can’t have gotten those ideas out of that tiny head! He’s a researcher/copier! That is what he is!”

“Look how she deals with people! She is a hypocrite!”

Some people seem to just know how to do it, say it, get it, or even be it! Others stand in awe or disbelief. Other ‘OTHERS’ are consumed with the sense of injustice at the ease that accompanied the actions they observed! But, only self-confident and intrinsically-motivated people who believe in their own unique potential decide to pursue a gorgeous journey of their own know-how!

One has to admit that some people are born with certain intelligences. That is precisely what Gardner meant when he presented his theory of Multiple Intelligences in 1983. He presented 8 types of intelligences: verbal, mathematical /logical, musical, spacial, bodily/kinesthetic, intra-personal, inter-personal, and naturalist. Some people are good at expressing thoughts using the best words and most suitable style. Others are great at mathematical calculations and problem solving. Musicians clearly have great musical intelligence, while athletes and dancers would definitely excel in the kinesthetic intelligence. Architects and interior designers would be the perfect examples of those who can picture ideas and visualize the best ways to use spaces. Intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligences are the social and emotional intelligences, which are both, knowing how to deal with oneself and with others. And, last, but not least, natural intelligence is the one focused on recognizing and classifying ingredients of the surrounding nature.

We are all born with our own sets of intelligences and with our own levels and combinations and it is our responsibility to find them out and make the best use of them. Nowadays, there are several profile assessments that determine these intelligences in order to help us discover our potentials and develop ourselves. Of course, steps are still being taken in order to incorporate such research and discoveries into our current life systems. However, this is taking a lot of time and effort as it struggles against last century’s opposite efforts targeted at adjusting generation after generation into moulds of set life-knowledge, habits, and skills. In those days, the only way to be viewed as successful was to be the best slave to those moulds. But then, the information revolution came about and eliminated the first ingredient, while some emerging genius talents eliminated the second, leaving the third as a lonely ingredient that needed to be further analyzed and attained.

Yes, there is a muse, but it is not outside of us; we are born with it. Yet, only a few people either get the coincidental chance of getting introduced to it, or are fortunate enough to either have the time and faith to search for it, or have someone in their life to guide and facilitate that search. But, once the search is complete, thousands of steps and loads of practice are needed to realize the full potential of the genius within and come out with a result that makes others, and even oneself, stand in awe.

Self-discovery, self-belief, and self-motivation are the know-how ingredients in our search for our set of unique intelligences – our Muse – that would pull us out of the box of ordinary glass to shine as the unique diamonds that we are. So my advice is… wake up, dig in, and get in touch with your MUSE!

Good Luck, Diamond!

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Rania Abdel Ghaffar has more than 18 years experience of teaching English Language Skills, Business English and Customized programs, both as a freelancer and as a member of several international institutions such as The American University in Cairo, Cairo University, The American University in Dubai, and the Eton Institute. She is a certified Social and Emotional Intelligence Assessor and Coach from the Institute for Social and Emotional Intelligence and a certified SEI Assessor by Six Seconds Organization.

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