The Power of Inside Out
One of the most obvious examples is the health of your skin. Considered to be the largest organ of your body, its health and appearance is not the sole result of the most expensive creams in the world or the latest spa treatments. Now, there is NOTHING wrong with using any of these proven topical treatments but even the very best of them cannot undo the effects of lack of sleep and poor nutrition.
If we take this concept of working on the unseen inside to support the seen outside, the idea of becoming a better communicator, moving your body daily, eating foods that support your health, and staying engaged and connected makes good sense. So, how do we do it?
Spend time supporting all of your intelligences. Let’s take a look at what that might mean.
Physical Intelligence is the natural ability of your body to function well by maintaining optimal chemical balances in response to the ever-changing world around us. We do this by daily movement, eating nutritionally dense foods, getting nourishing sleep and learning to manage stress.
As self-aware beings, we have the ability to think critically, plan and problem solve. We are also all creative! We support this mental intelligence when we engage in creative pursuits, stay open to new ideas and concepts and learn from past experiences rather than getting stuck in a thinking-pattern rut.
Our emotional Intelligence is the ability to be able to manage our emotions. We get better at this when we practice becoming aware of our emotions and learn to direct the energy for a practical outcome. Mindfulness is an example of a practice that would support us here.
And last, we are social beings. Living in community is important and requires that we learn to do that well. Practicing the tenants of Non-Violent Communication is a way to work on improving our social intelligence.
Change can be challenging. Consistency over time wins the race. Remember, it’s a marathon NOT a sprint. Stringing small steps together over time yields massive results. Working from the inside-out is a practice and takes time. Staying patient and working consistently is key here!
Keep it simple. Because this is all interrelated, a change in one area influences everything else. Isn’t this great news?! Because of the interactive nature of our intelligences, it is impossible to make a shift in any of the intelligences without an impact on the rest. The change becomes exponential over time!
The inside-out approach is not necessarily convenient. It does require time, energy and practice. The return on investment is a life well lived. Totally worth every minute spent!
