To grow spiritually, what do you need? To develop your spiritual intelligence.
But what actually is spiritual intelligence and how do you develop it? To start, recognize that there are four basic kinds of intelligence: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. Also there are some variations and offshoots of different ways to categorize intelligences.
Most people think of IQ as just mental ability, the kind of thinking taught in school. It focuses on memorizing and analyzing. However important this function, it is just one kind of intelligence that can be developed.
There is also physical intelligence, which starts from birth with your body’s development. It includes movements, spatial ability and body awareness.
An important note here is some people are more gifted with physical intelligence, as with any of the other intelligences. For instance, one person can be a handy-person or more athletic than many others.
Then there is emotional intelligence. This means being aware of your emotions and managing them, which includes relating to others. Those who are emotionally adept may be more empathetic and sociable with others.
Here’s an example of emotional intelligence: What am I feeling now? Frustration… Okay, maybe I just need to accept that and sit with it for a moment. Maybe I need to take some deliberate action.
In short, you are aware of your emotions – how they affect you and others. Also note that each of the intelligences requires study and practice to develop.
Spiritual Beings
Although we all are spiritual beings having a human experience, spiritual intelligence takes some time to emerge. First, you need to develop some emotional intelligence for self-understanding and self-reflection. Emotional awareness includes being able to interact well with others.
For a spiritual intelligence overview, let’s look at four key areas where it can blossom and grow to enrich your journey of awakening. And you will blossom as you develop your spiritual intelligence.
1. Following the truth in your heart
Your heart is the gateway to your soul. It integrates your physical life with spiritual dimensions. Heart-centered activity turns your everyday reality into a profound, mystical adventure. We sometimes call it the path of love.
Opening your heart makes the ordinary into the extraordinary. You start to regularly see the best in yourself and others. You do smell the roses and coffee. You see the sky and feel the earth. You are more grateful to be alive. You also are sensitive to the beauty all around us.
“True wisdom requires both thinking with our head and understanding with our heart,” as anthropologist Jane Goodall observed.
Here’s then is a good question to ask: “Am I in a heart-centered place right now?” If your heart is open, you will be very present.
2. Exploring your life purpose
Your purpose reveals what you are here to do. The guidelines come from your soul’s blueprint before birth.
For deeper fulfillment, a key part is using and developing your talents. Your gifts and skills develop emotional and spiritual intelligence.
Here’s how your life purpose puzzle makes sense. Things come together when you intuitively apply your gifts, in an enjoyable way, to help make the world a better place. For example, a mission statement could be something like “I use healing to help myself and others to make the world a more peaceful place.”
3. Connecting with a spiritual family
Since we are spiritual beings having a human experience, all relationships can be viewed from a spiritual perspective. But some of our relationships are special, having a deep, natural affinity between you and the other person. These connections may or may not be with family members.
Connecting with certain people goes beyond just the physical, material aspects of life, which make up most relationships. By contrast, spiritual relationships are characterized by deep support, compassion and intuitive connection. They recognize a deeper purpose to life and transcendent meaning in things.
For outer relationships, certain people who share our deeper values and interests comprise our outer spiritual family. For inner relationships, we can connect with certain angels, ascended masters and guides.
For example, you might connect with angels such as Michael, Gabriel or Metatron. Among the many ascended masters, you might relate to Buddha, Jesus, Kwan Yin or Mother Mary. And there are many higher guides you can meet as well.
4. Using tools for healing and transformation
To develop your spiritual IQ, you need tools that straighten out those tangles in your life. You know, like the inner critic that keeps blaming you for not being enough. Some of these dysfunctional patterns carry over from past lives, i.e., your karma.
We use Holistic EFT and Spiritual Kinesiology to get at the root of issues and clear them. The clearing process can include different layers, which surface when you are ready to address them.
To grow spiritually, it’s practical to learn these modalities. Or get help from others who can help you to keep moving forward.
To help you can get your Free Emotional and Spiritual IQ Quiz. Just fill out your email and name below:
You want to practice being kind and nonjudgmental to both yourself and others. Your spiritual intelligence is sparked by using your strengths, such as communication, research, service, and teaching. It also develops when you use your creativity, whether in an artistic endeavor, creative movement, inspirational thought or deeper conversation.
As you keep doing things that make you feel more alive, what happens? You enrich your own life and extend that to others. It’s a virtuous cycle.
Final Thoughts on Spiritual Intelligence
At a certain point developing your spiritual IQ becomes a priority. You then actively use your relevant skills and intelligences: physical, emotional and mental.
In the process, you open your heart, explore your purpose, spiritually connect with others, heal and transform. Sounds good, doesn’t it?
Overall, you add depth and aliveness to your life. Then you are more regularly accessing higher spiritual dimensions, where love, bliss and possibilities abound. Keep going, keep growing.
Get your Free Emotional and Spiritual Intelligence Quiz, with audio training, here.