Many of us aspire to do something meaningful with our lives, and in order to aspire to something we must first suspect that we have the potential to do something more, or different, than whatever it is we are presently doing. We believe every woman is capable of creating a meaningful life for herself; otherwise we would not be wasting our time leading one of the biggest women empowerment movement in North America, or writing this women empowerment blog. YOU must also think you are capable of evolving your life, or you would not be wasting your time being a part of our community, or reading this blog. So if humans have the capacity and drive towards something more, how can we explore that potential and focus our efforts optimally?
For this we’ll take a look at one of the greats who ever walked this earth – Leonardo Da Vinci. He is such a striking example of human potential, that we shouldn’t move to fill his shoes, but rather learn from him to bring out the genius that lies in all of us. As William Manchester writes in his book “A World Lit Only by Fire: The Medieval Mind and the Renaissance: Portrait of an Age”
“So mighty was his intellect and so broad the spectrum of his gifts—he was, among other things, a master of engineering, biology, sculpture, linguistics, botany, music, philosophy, architecture, and science—that presenting an adequate summary of his feats is impossible.”
And somewhere along the way Da Vinci was able to find time to paint The Adoration of Magi, the Mona Lisa, and The Last Supper.
So how did he do all of that in one lifetime? Was he also a genius at time management or tackling his to-do list? Many others have asked these questions, and some have taken the time to study Da Vinci’s notebooks in an effort to figure out what made him so unique. (He kindly left humanity 7000 pages of hand-written mirror script that can be read when held to a mirror ☺
One of the qualities that emerge from an analysis of his work is that he had an insatiable curiosity about everything. He questioned everything! So how can we apply this to evolving and achieving more in our own life?
It may be as simple as embarking on a self-inquiry journey – connecting with our inner intelligence or higher self, documenting our findings, setting a plan in motion by implementing SMART goals, and moving consistently with discipline in the direction of our vision.
Michael Gelb, in his book “How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day”
1 Grab a notebook that has a lot of blank pages in it.
2 In one sitting, write down 100 questions that are meaningful to you. Don’t worry about grammar, some overlap of questions, or details such as spelling. Gelb says “Any kind of question as long as it’s something you deem significant.” Do not attempt to answer any of them as yet.
3 Read your list and note what themes emerged.
4 Do your best to choose the ten that are most important to you, and rank them according to importance. Refrain from answering any of them as yet.
After completing this exercise, take a break and let it marinade. In about three days, when you have at least 30 minutes to spare, choose one question from your list that seems interesting at the moment. Contemplate the question by writing it again on a blank page, and do your best to keep your mind on the one question and note what thoughts it conjures. Engage in a stream of consciousness writing session on this particular question, and then read over what came out and highlight parts that strike you as insightful. Work through your questions over time, and feel free to add more and also change ranking as your understanding evolves.
We are all unique! Our circumstances, our perceptions, our stories, our paths, the gifts we are each capable of offering the world – all of these are different for everyone. Thus, we cannot strive to be Da Vinci, but what we can each do, is strive to be our best self.
With love, gratitude, and empowered attitude,
Amazing article! One of the things I usually recommend to my clients, is that they take time out to tune out from the world and tune in to themselves. There is so much we do not know about our own self simply because we are always busy attending to others, working at making ends meet, and relying on whatever time is left to do us. And sadly, if we do not make the time to connect with ourselves, there will be no time for us!
Absolutely Katherine! Self knowledge is also another key to success in pretty much every area of our lives. Must take time out for ourselves, or else we will not thrive.
The first time I did that exercise I was in awe at the results it produced! I could not believe that something so simple could be so powerful. It gave me such clarity, and I highly recommend this exercise be a part of your strategy to get you to living your best life.
Indeed Janice! There are so many things that we can do to enhance and continue to develop ourselves, and many times they are pretty simple to do and implement. This is one such exercise and it really does help to gain clarity.
Indeed Janice, that exercise is a real eye opener and one of the best I’ve seen for gaining clarity.
We definitely cannot be like Leonardo da Vinci, he was one of a kind! But as you rightfully say, we can all strive to be our utmost best self.
Wasn’t he? Amazing what he’s done! Now each of us must take the time to know ourselves, and develop the best of ourselves to share with the world. Yes, we can!
As I often say to ladies who happen to cross my path, “YOU are ENOUGH!” There are so many women who really need to hear this. All you need to do, is be in tune with yourself and allow whatever is within you to flow forth. We are all so very unique, and one thing that is for sure, is that we all have something unique to offer as well. Someone is waiting for YOUR greatness, and YOU and only YOU can unleash that from within YOU. Go forth now, and BE!
Christine, those three words are super words in helping to build confidence and courage in our clients here at My Blooming Biz. Happy you are using them too 🙂 Loving this which is actually one of our mantra, ” Someone is waiting for YOUR greatness, and YOU and only YOU can unleash that from within YOU. Go forth now, and BE!” Thanks for stopping by and contributing! Appreciate!
Absolutely Christine! We cannot stress that enough! And the sad thing is, if women do not believe they indeed are ENOUGH, they will not act accordingly – regardless of how much we encourage them.
Yes, there is greatness in all of us, and we each have the power to change someone’s life for the better. We just have to believe and unleash!
Thank you for your input!
“What people think of you is none of your business”, someone once said, and I agree to a larger extent. What is most important is what you think of yourself. So what do you think of yourself? You don’t have to answer here, but just get somewhere quiet and think truly think about how you see yourself right now. Whatever your findings, don’t dwell on it. Start pursuing a change! Jot down all the things about you that you want to change and work at making it happen – one by one. None of us are perfect, but we can uplift and align ourselves so we can be the best we we can be.
The distinction between those two are vitally important Pandora, and we are happy to have you stop by and supply us with your gem. Thank you!
Ooooh, I love this article! I was just discussing this with my niece who spends so much time trying to be like the people on social media, then when she falls short, she gets down on herself. I probably should send her a link to this post cause what you are saying is right on point, and she’ll probably get it.
That Da Vinci was nothing short of amazing; we really would strive to be the best person we can be, and not live up to anyone else’s expectations OR set unrealistic expectations for ourselves.
Truly enjoyed reading this, and I just purchased that Da Vinci book, looks interesting. Thanks for sharing.
Gillian, thankfully “this too shall pass” for your niece. She will become tired of it and abandon that quest – so take heart. We’ve seen this happen with teens of clients we’ve supported, and for the most part they stopped on their own and gave up on it, so it’s our conclusion that it’s a phase. In the meantime yes, send her this article link, and continue to support and encourage her positives.
“We believe every woman is capable of creating a meaningful life for herself.” Absolutely! Women in the “free world” have the opportunity to decide what it is they want, craft their plan to get it, and work diligently with discipline until it is realized. We have to take advantage of this “freedom” and make the choice to use it to its fullest degree.
Also, we must never forget that a lot of women around the globe are not able to choose!
Great post 🙂
My answer is to spend some time in nature every day and experience the vitality, clarity, and renewal of spirit. Silence, introspection, meditation will help us all live better lives.
Hey 🙂 nice article! I’ve been on that higher self embracing journey for a while now and I gotta tell you I’m loving it. Even my family members notice the difference in me and I’m glad it’s showing.