BY CHRISTINE CROSBY
Over the holidays, a friend of mine (Ingrid Bredenberg) introduced me to a new book, Positive Intelligence by Dr. Chamine Shirzad. What I soon learned is that this is much more than a book. There is a simple and quick assessment tool to help us discover the parts of our personality that are saboteurs.
Saboteurs are the voices in your head that generate negative emotions in the way you handle life’s everyday challenges. They represent automated patterns in your mind for how to think, feel, and respond. They cause all of your stress, anxiety, self-doubt, frustration, restlessness, and unhappiness. They sabotage your performance, wellbeing, and relationships.
Dr. Shirzad’s groundbreaking research exposes ten well-disguised mental Saboteurs. Nearly 95 percent of the executives in his Stanford lectures conclude that these Saboteurs cause “significant harm” to achieving their full potential. With Positive Intelligence, you can learn the secret to defeating these internal foes.
Recent advances in functional MRI (fMRI), which measures how neural activity changes blood flow, have allowed scientists and psychologists to witness the real-time working of the brain for the very first time. Shirzad has lectured on Positive Intelligence at Stanford University and has trained faculty at Stanford and Yale business schools so he’s no amateur at this stuff.
BUY BOOK
After I did the assessment, I could not wait to have my husband, daughter, friends all take the assessment. To our amazement, it hit the nail right on the head for each of us. Each person, while not thrilled with their results, all agreed it was “right on.” As we shared our results, we laughed, went into denial and then confessed to the accuracy of the results especially for each other. I think this inner discovery can be life changing.
I encourage you to take the assessment here: www.positiveintelligence.com/assessments
That’s the easy part. If like me, you’ll want to do something to prevent your saboteurs from continuing their damage, there is some work you must do. Dr. Shirzad has developed some incredible online tools starting with a 15 minutes/day of app-guided practice enables you to establish mental muscles (neural pathways). These exercises are bite-sized to fit your busy schedule and customized based on how you self-sabotage.
I’m almost done with the book and highly recommend it. That’s the “Controller” in me (ha ha) always trying to get people to do things, but believe me, you won’t be sorry.
As is written on the opening page of the Positive Intelligence website:
“Imagine what would happen to our world if we raised mentally fit kids. If our kids learned that they couldn’t trust every voice in their own head, if they learned to discredit their own Saboteurs, if they developed Self-Command, and if they were able to activate their own positive Sage powers. What would happen to their ability to withstand bullying, flawed teaching, and even abusive parenting? What kind of politicians would those kids grow up to elect? What kind of global community would they create?
Our vision is to create a world where mental fitness becomes as widespread and commonly practiced as physical fitness is today amongst all kids, educators, parents, politicians, and leaders. That’s when humanity will fulfill its true positive potential.
Please join us in manifesting this vision. Do your part by becoming mentally fit yourself. Be the change you want to see in the world.”
As a life-long learner, for me, this book and these unique tools are great steps to take for a successful life journey.
Read more in GRAND on living the Ageful Life here.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Christine Crosby is the editorial director for GRAND Magazine. She is a GRANDmom of five and great-grand mom of one.