Signs of Intelligences- Vision, Discipline, Passion, Conscience

Four main qualities of an achiever are vision, discipline, passion and conscience. Human intelligences and capabilities obtain achievement through these qualities.
A pattern will be found when we study the lives of great achievers who have had the greatest influence on others and those who have made significant contributions. They have greatly expanded their four native human intelligences and capacities through their continuous efforts and inner struggle. The highest manifestation of these four intelligences are: for the mental- vision; for the physical- discipline; for the emotional- passion; for the spiritual- conscience. Our highest means of expressing our voice can be represented through these manifestations.
What is possible in people, in projects, in causes and in enterprises can be seen with the mind’s eye which is our vision. When our mind joins need with possibility, the result is vision. According to William Blake “What is now proved was once only imagined.” When people have no vision, development of the mind’s capacity to create is neglected and they fall prey to the human tendency towards victimism
Discipline is an essential price to pay to bring that vision into reality. It helps in making things happen by dealing with the hard, pragmatic, brutal facts of reality. It means giving up indulgence and sacrificing pleasure or thrill of the moment for what matters most in life.
The drive that sustains the discipline to achieve the vision is passion which is the fire, the desire and the strength of conviction. When unique human talent overlaps human needs, passion arises. If there is no passion driven by ones own voice, the void is filled with insecurity and empty chatter of many voices. Compassion is necessary for passion in relationship in life and in organization.
Conscience is the moral sense of what is right and wrong. It drives us towards meaning and contribution. It is the guiding force for vision, discipline and passion and is opposite to life dominated by ego.
In his book “The 8th Habit” Stephen Covey states that these four words - vision, discipline, passion and conscience are essentially a part of many other characteristics we use to describe qualities of people whose influence is great.
Whether in the home, in the community, in a business or in government, the people we admire have these four characteristics even though we use different word to describe them.
Vision, discipline, passion and conscience are manifestations of intelligences which give us the drive and direction to find our inner voice and to fill the void which would otherwise be filled with chatters of many voices and gives us insecurity.

All the best,

John Meredith

The Learning Center - A UK partner of FranklinCovey

Tags: discipline, indulgence, intelligences, manifestations