Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash
How in the world can One be greater than Ten? It is actually very simple.
Let’s start with Ten. Every single day, we have voices in our heads, discerning what is wrong with most every situation. According to Shirzad Chamine’s book PQ Intelligence, there are ten of these voices and everyone has them.
The first is our Judge. While I could probably just end the sentence with the period, let me explain a little deeper. Our Judge is the voice in our head that finds fault with self, others and circumstances. For self, it badgers self for past mistakes and current shortcomings (can you relate?). When it comes to others, the Judge focuses on what is wrong with others and goes to inferior and superior comparisons (maybe you can relate). And finally, when it comes to circumstances the Judge labels things as “bad” instead of exploring the gift or opportunity it may be presenting (you can definitely relate!). The Judge is a major cause of disappointment, anger, regret, guilt, shame and anxiety in our lives. The Judge is our common saboteur.
The Judge’s nine accomplices include (all from Shirzad Chamine’s PQ Intelligence™ program):
Avoider (avoids difficult or unpleasant tasks and conflicts)
Controller (anxiety-based need to take charge and control)
Hyper-Achiever (dependent on constant performance and achievement for self-respect and self-validation)
Hyper-Rational (intense and exclusive focus on the rational processing of everything, including relationships)
Hyper-Vigilant (continuous intense anxiety about all dangers and what could go wrong)
Pleaser (indirectly tries to gain acceptance and affection by helping, pleasing, rescuing or flattering others)
Restless (constantly in search of greater excitement in the next activity)
Stickler (perfectionism and a need for order and organization taken too far)
Victim (emotional and temperamental as a way to get attention and affection)
That makes Ten voices in our heads, constantly sizing up life’s situations and challenges. Some you could see in yourself, other’s not so much. They are all also constantly lying to us. Why? Because everything they tell us is fabricated.
1. I’m not good enough (Judge lie)
2. I can’t face this (Avoider lie)
3. I can control this (Controller lie)
4. I must out-do ______ (Hyper-Achiever lie)
5. I can out-think this (Hyper-Rational lie)
6. Something will go wrong (Hyper-Vigilant lie)
7. I will have more friends by sacrificing my needs (Pleaser lie)
8. I can’t miss out on ______ (Restless lie)
9. This needs to be perfect (Stickler lie)
10. No one understands me (Victim lie)
You can probably see yourself in a few of these. Some people can circumstantially call out their Saboteur. Personally, I have a very strong one and I notice the others at times. It all starts with awareness.
So how can One be greater than Ten?
The One is our Sage voice. The voice of love and grace. The one we can turn to in any situation and get the Truth from it. The voice where we go to quiet the negativity (those Saboteurs) and focus on the positivity (our Sage). This is an all-powerful, all-knowing space that each one of us possesses and it has far greater power than those ten conniving saboteurs.
Sage is where empathy, exploration, innovation, navigation, and activation come from. These are the five superpowers from our Sage (again, Positive Intelligence™), and these powers, when we tap into them, allow us to work, play, and relate on a much higher level, one of FLOW and purpose.
When we are empathic, we gain perspective through love. When we explore, we get curious about ourselves and others. When we innovate, we become creative and think of the possibilities. When we navigate, we focus on a life intentionally lived and when we activate, we take action towards a purposeful life.
OK, so maybe I should say Five is greater than Ten. But you get the point. When you come from a Sage perspective, positivity is possible, the gifts are possible, the opportunity is possible, no matter the circumstance. The Sage perspective, the One, is much greater and more powerful than the Ten.
(message me if you are interested in learning more about the PQ Intelligence™Program)