It is a common perception that intelligence plays a great role in our path to success. If someone is successful, we presume that s/he is highly intelligent. Lack of intelligence on the other hand invites jeers and uncomplimentary nicknames such as ‘stupid’ and ‘idiot’. What is this intelligence that is such a prized commodity? Do you believe that success is hindered by a lack of intelligence? In your opinion which person has a better chance of succeeding: the one with above average intelligence who is full of doubts and fears, or one with average intelligence who has a positive outlook? Does focus play any role in success or is intelligence supreme? Does one need to be a person of action or a person of intellect?

I believe that your intelligence does play a role but that role is quite limited. It is your thoughts and patterns of those thoughts that determine your success. These thoughts help guide your intelligence in the right direction. They provide your intelligence with the required focus. More and more people agree today that it is your positive mind-set that is the most essential element of success. Abilities, skills, and talent play a second fiddle to a positive mind set. It has been proven time and again that success is a direct result of a successful mind set.

Now if everyone knows that a positive mindset is all it takes to succeed, why can’t we cultivate this mind set? Intelligence is something that we are born with, but our mindset is something that we control. What stops us from exercising this control effectively? These are the questions we need to ask ourselves. How are we sabotaging our own success?  Just by being stuck in negative mind sets!

When we have a positive mindset the situations in our lives don’t change; it is our response to those situations that changes. We learn to look at disappointments and failures for what they truly are: a learning opportunity. We start focusing on the positive in people, situations, and circumstances. It is a known truth that whatever we focus on grows in our lives. So our focus on the positive brings in more positivism into our lives. Our disappointments become temporary and of shorter duration. We stop blaming the world for our failures. We move through challenging situations with cheer and poise. Our reactions are balanced. We learn to trust people and seek help. We also become more open to offering help.

When we are filled with positive thoughts, our subconscious makes us seek out positive people. These cycles become a pattern and before we know it we are successful. Doing our work with a positive mind set brings out excellence in us. And as you well know excellence can not be ignored for too long. Is intelligence in any way connected to the way you feel about your work?

Edward De Bono, the author of the concept of lateral thinking puts it very well. He says, “We can think about intellect as the horse power in an engine. Increasing the horse power does not necessarily ensure the peak performance of the engine. If your ability to drive is good, you can get the most out of the car. However, if it is bad, then more horse power will not help. In fact, the results are far better if a good driver drives a car with less horse power, than a bad driver driving a car with more horse power……….”

Yes, the role of intellect can not be denied. It is one of our many advantages, but the intellect must be driven by positive thoughts. Daniel Goldman, the author of Emotional Intelligence, writes that emotional intelligence is far more important than a high IQ. People with high EQ have the ability to motivate themselves. They are also able to manage their emotions far more constructively. These people enjoy good inter-personal relationships. They understand their own emotions and those of the others. They have the knack of managing any given situation calmly.

Emotional intelligence encompasses a developed sense of control over the self. People with high EQ are willing to shoulder responsibility for all their actions. They trust their abilities, and enjoy a high level of self-confidence. It has been seen that people with average education but high level of EQ achieve better results at work than people with exceptional qualifications but low EQ. You are born with an IQ, and you can not do much about raising it, but EQ is something that can be developed through out your life. It is a great gift to the mankind.

Do you prefer to interact with a person who is highly intelligent, or one who understands you and supports you emotionally? Just like you every one else also prefers a warm person to someone who is smart, but inaccessible. Thus it is easy to understand that success comes easily to those people who devote their time and energies in developing their emotional intelligence. Over a period of time you will learn to see things from a broader perspective. In any case success is worthwhile only if it is all encompassing.

You are here on Planet Earth to learn. You need to learn at each step to exist and to succeed. Learning from your own experiences, both positive and negative, results in a tremendous all round growth. Sometimes we need to do things wrong before we get them right, but that is alright. That is part of the process. A positive mindset makes you trust this process explicitly. Sometimes we also learn from other people’s experiences, both positive and negative. This learning is also invaluable in our path to success.

Intellect is important for learning and growth, but we also learn by what we see, so pay attention. We learn by what we hear, so be a good listener. We learn from what we read, so read more. Learn from lectures, learn from songs, learn from conversations with people, and learn from observing the nature. Always keep learning and growing. Success will be attracted to you automatically.

So let go of the need to worship intellect, and EXPECT SUCCESS.