Leonardo Da Vinci was born on 15^th April 1452 in Vinci (hence, Da Vinci), a small town outside Florence in Tuscany.  He was not only born a bastard in a very Catholic country, but a dyslexic genius who was a strict vegetarian in a province that is world renowned for it hearty game dishes and rich cuisine.  He loathed war, or any kind of bloodshed, and was most kind and affectionate to animals. He had a quick mind, a sharp eye and made lots of scientific discoveries, yet never really published any of his work.  He was an artist, a scientist, a philosopher and an inventor.  To this day, he is one of the greatest painters of the Italian Renaissance who has left many sketches and diagrams in his wake that still amaze the artistic and scientific thinkers of today.

So how is Da Vinci linked to Coaching and self development?  The answer lies in the Seven Principles of Enlightenment that he left behind.  Translated by Stewart Pearce in blue and elaborated from a self help perspective by yours truly.

I. CURIOSITA:  An insatiable curiosity for life and an unrelenting quest for learning.*

One of the most powerful driving forces that continuously pushes us forward as a species is our innate curiosity in all things.  Most importantly, curiosity in ourselves.  Nothing can help more than self knowledge and the curiosity to explore our strengths and build them to new heights through self education and research into avenues that interest and inspire us.  Every goal needs research and further investigation and a quest for learning will only benefit our path to achieving our goals and dreams.

II. DIMONSTRAZIONE: A commitment to test knowledge through experience and a willingness to make mistakes.*

One of the most important pre-suppositions in NLP is that there is no such thing as failure, only feedback.  Because, it is through mistakes that we learn and grow.  Thus, a sense of adventure combined with a willingness to embrace mistakes as valuable lessons will allow us to attempt our goals with a freedom never felt before.  W. Amos once said: “Commitment lets you know that failure is not failure, but an idea on its way to success.”

III. SENSAZIONE: A continual refinement of the senses as a mean to enliven experience.*

Our five senses continuously trigger memories and emotions.  Think of the love song which brings back memories of your fist love.  Think of that swallow of Merlot on your last vacation.  Think of the last time you visualized an outcome that motivated you to work harder.  When you play with your sub-modalities, you can change how you feel because it is through our senses that we alter our feelings.  If you have a goal, you must visualize it, you must re-run it in your mind and fuel it with encouraging internal dialogue to fire up your senses and enliven the quality of your life and performance.

IV. SFUMATO – “Going Up In Smoke”: A willingness to embrace ambiguity, paradox and uncertainty.*

Risk is an ingredient every high achiever has used in their concoction of success.  It is through calculated risk that visions are created and dreams accomplished.  The uncertainty of life allows us to exercise faith and trust in the universe and embrace the adventurous journey of life.  “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” - Helen Keller

V. ARTE – SCIENZA:  The development of the balance between art and science or imagination and logic.*

From a coaching perspective, consider the left brain hemisphere which is logical, mathematical and scientific and the right brain hemisphere which is creative, musical and artistic.  By connecting the two hemispheres and enhancing their intercommunication we automatically improve our intelligence and productivity.  In fact, every great thinker in history has always nurtured both sides through a creative hobby such as music and painting.  It is paramount that we cultivate both sides of our minds in order to enlighten our lives and enrich our capabilities.

VI. CORPORALITA: The cultivation of grace, poise and truth.*

Through self- respect, worth, and honesty we can limit our pains and nurture ourselves to altitudes of betterment.  This includes looking after ones bodily and mental health, not just through what we eat and drink, but also through people we socialise with and environments we harbour ourselves in.  When we grow to love and appreciate ourselves as entities that disserve respect and general goodness, we also evolve spiritually.  In other words, our core beliefs and values need to be refined on a regular basis.

VII. CONNESSIONE: A recognition and appreciation of the theory of interconnectedness in all things.*

There is an undeniable connection in life that reaffirms itself through synchronicity and the old theory of cause and effect.  Broadly speaking, think of global warming and its link with green house gases.  On a smaller scale, let’s consider an old Client of mine who was convinced he would never get the promotion because of his ethnic background.  As soon as we successfully worked on this limiting belief, not only did his performance improve at work, but sure enough he got the promotion.  Two months after his promotion, his wife became pregnant and they moved to a quiet family suburb.  He now has a great life and views the world in a totally fresh way.  Action equals reaction, and one reaction will systematically create others.  When we set out to achieve a goal or improve an area of our lives we had neglected, we are further weaving our tapestry of life into new realms that can always be traced back to the root.

Though Da Vinci’s principles of enlightenment are from fifteenth century Florence, their wisdom is timeless and ageless and knows no geographical or cultural boundaries.  We are all now living in another renaissance.  A renaissance of human potential, intellectual growth and creative lateral thinking.  Let us learn from such past wisdom in order to evolve into a promising future as we harness our own minds, bodies and spirits.

Until Next Time……Live Don’t Just Exist.

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Tel:  +44 (0)207 602 5477

taymour@guiding-light.net

*Translated by Stuart Pearce ©2004 www.thealchemyofvoice.com