The majority of time in our days is often spent on the day to day managing of affairs. We get busy in the logistics, the to-do lists, the moment to moment situations that need our attention, and, if we are lucky, we remember to stay Present every now and then.
When we take a break and go on a holiday, we notice that the day to day preoccupations become smaller and we see things from a different perspective. We get to see how our current lives are, or are not, accurate representations of our values, purpose or highest versions of ourselves – how we are living in relation to our Evolutionary Intelligence. We tend to come back to work feeling refreshed and inspired to make changes and live more authentically.
What if, in our everyday lives, we could connect more with our Evolutionary Intelligence – the synergy of our Mind, Body, Heart, Spirit connection? How can we remember to stay Present more often to ourselves, to our truths and to the greater perspective on our lives, so we can access our inspiration and drive to improve our lives, and the lives of those around us?
One key to living more and more from our Evolutionary Intelligence ultimately comes down to neuroscience. Well, neuroscience via our Body, Heart and Spirit of course! Firstly, we need to get clear around our values (Heart) and purpose (Spirit). Clarity for these comes through knowing what is true for us, through listening to our Body’s intelligence. (We can help with this process – information coming soon!)
Then we need to set some intentions around bringing these values and purpose to life – to embody them in a meaningful and consistent way. One way to do this is to create ritual around these intentions.
Ritual is simply choosing times throughout the day, week and month where we remember our Evolutionary Intelligence, in whatever way works for us. This means that we create practices that bring us to the Present moment, or that remind us of our values and purpose. There are many practices that help with this. Once we find things that work for us, that inspire and uplift us (we can help here, too!), it’s a matter of neuroscience.
The saying goes “Neurons that fire together, wire together”. Put another way, when we do an everyday thing, our brain makes links between the all things we are doing or thinking about at that time. For example, if I have coffee and cake with a friend at a particular café, the next time I go to that café, my brain will think about coffee, cake and that particular friend.
We can use this neuro-fact to create rituals in our quest to remain more connected to our Evolutionary Intelligence. Choose some everyday actions and consciously add some practice that connects you to your values, purpose or inspiration as you do it. For example, if I one of my values was to be fully Present to each moment of my life, tomorrow morning when I brush my teeth I could choose to brush with Presence – feeling the brush as it touches my teeth and gums, smelling the toothpaste, tasting and feeling the texture of the toothpaste. The next time I brush my teeth, my brain will remind me to brush with Presence.
Neurons that fire together, wire together.
Or, I can choose to drive to work tomorrow remembering my purpose and values and setting intentions to speak and act from this place during the day. Next time I drive to work, my brain will remind me of this practice. Over the coming days, if I choose to continue this ritual, the drive to work will become a time that connects me to my whole self – my Evolutionary Intelligence, each day.
These are simple examples of how we can harness the power of our neurons to create a purposeful life. Try it yourself – find three times during the day where you will incorporate some kind of ritual with the intention to connect with yourself, your purpose, values or Presence.
As you do this each day, your brain will become more and more wired to remember your Evolutionary Intelligence and it’s aspirations, dreams and wisdom. You are creating the space and opportunity for your Evolutionary Intelligence to be seen and felt; and for you to live a life more aligned with your values and purpose.
Let us know how you go! What works for you?