7DAVI

NCI
ANPRI
NCI
PLES

Wat
chi
nYout
ube:Leonar
doDaVi
nci|Hi
sli
fei
n3mi
nut
es(
HD)
Whataret hecharacter
isti
csofbeingagenius?Aregeni usesbeingbor
normade?I n
aninterest
ingbook“ Howt oThi nkLikeLeonar
dodaVi nci
:SevenSt epstoGeni
usEv eryDay
”,
onwhi chthisart
icleisbased,Gelb(2014)asks:Howdoy oubringbr i
ll
i
ancetopracti
ce?How
doy oumai ntai
nv it
ali
ty?Howar eyouculti
vat
ingyourvari
ousst r
engthsandskill
s,andhow
ar
ey ouabl etofl
our i
shineverydimensionofyourli
fe?
Inthel essont hatfoll
ow y ouwil
ll ear
nar eali
sti
cappr oach,testedinpr acti
ce,toapplyt he
basicel ementsofLeonar do'
sgeni ustoenr i
chy ourlif
e.Asy oudev eloppower fulstr
ategies
forcreat i
vethi
nkingandnewappr oachest oself-
expression,youwilldiscov eranexhil
arati
ng,
ori
ginalwayt oseeandenj oyyourwor ld.Youwi lll
earnv ali
datedstrategiest osharpeny our
senses, freeupy ouruniqueintel
lectandhar moni zeyourmi ndandbody .Youwi llbemaki ng
yourlif
eawor kofar twithLeonardoasy ourinspir
ati
on.
Canthebasi
csofLeonar
do'
sapproachtolear
ningandi
ntel
li
gencecul
ti
vati
onbeabst
ract
ed
andappl
iedi
nordert
oinspi
reandguideustowardsr
eal
i
zingourownfull
potent
ial
?
Gel
b(2014)emphasi
zest
heSev
enDaVi
nci
anPr
inci
plesbel
ow:
1.Curi
osi
tà—Ani
nsat
iabl
ycur
iousappr
oacht
oli
feandanunr
elent
ingquestf
orcont
inuous
l
earni
ng.
Howt
oThi
nkl
ikeDaVi
nci
:
 Readingthi
sandbeinginschool,youareal
readyappl
yi
ngthefi
rstDa
Vinci
anpr i
ncipl
e,thedesi
retoknow,tolearn,andtogrow i
sthepower
houseof
knowledge,wisdom,anddi
scover
y(Gel
b,2014).

 Alwaysbri
nganotebookorjour
nalwit
hyou,asDaVi
ncidi
d,soy
oucanputy
our
thought
sdownassoonastheyhappen.

 Honey
ourquest
ioni
ngski
l
ls

 Shi
fttheini
ti
alf
ocusawayf
rom f
indi
ng t
her
ightanswerbutaski
ng t
her
ight
quest
ion

2.Dimostr
azione—Acommi
tmentt ot
estknowl
edget
hroughexper
ience,per
sist
ence,anda
wil
li
ngnesstolear
nfr
om mi
stakes.
Leonardo’
snot esarewri
ttenbackwardsandintendedtobereadinami r
ror
.Somescholars
suggestthatthiswasdonetoprotecthi
spr i
vacy,whi
leot
hersar
gueitisduetothefactt
hat
hewasl eft
-handed.Deci
pherthi
squoteusingami rr
ororf
li
pitonyourcameraphone.
Howt
oThi
nkl
ikeDaVi
nci
:
 Learni
ng t
othink li
ke Leonar
do requi
res t
he ey
e-openi
ng wor
k of
quest
ioningourownopini
ons,assumpti
ons,andbel
ief
s.

 Cr
eat
edi
ff
erentaf
fi
rmat
ionsi
ntendedt
ochangenotj
ustt
hewayy
out
hinkbutt
he
 wayy
ouf
eel

 Wheny
oucr
eat
eyouraf
fi
rmat
ions,
star
twi
tht
hewor
ds,
“IFeel
”rat
hert
han“
IAm.
”

 Refl
ecton how y
ou appl
y whaty
ou hav
elear
ned f
rom y
ourmosti
nfl
uent
ial
exper
iences

 Lear
nfr
om y
ourmi
stakesandadv
ersi
ty

3.Sensazi
one—Thecont
inualr
efi
nementoft
hesenses,especi
all
ysi
ght
,ast
hemeanst
o
enl
iv
enexperi
ence.
Howt
oThi
nkl
ikeDaVi
nci
:
 Pr
act
icesi
l
ence

 Enhancey
oursenses.

 St
udyt
hel
i
vesandwor
ksofy
ourf
avor
it
ear
ti
sts.

 Sav
orandsensual
i
zey
ourexper
iences.

4.Sfumat
o( l
it
eral
l
y“Goi
ngupi
nSmoke”
)—Awi
l
li
ngnesst
oembr
aceambi
gui
ty,par
adox,
anduncer
tai
nty
.
Howt
oThi
nkl
ikeDaVi
nci
:
 Becomf
ort
abl
ewi
thambi
gui
ty

 At
tunet
oyouri
ntui
ti
onandgut

 Seet
hehumori
nev
ery
dayl
i
fe

 Hol
dcont
radi
ctor
yideasi
nyourmi
nd

 Ent
ert
ainpar
adoxandi
rony

5.Ar
te/
Scienza—The developmentoft
he bal
ance bet
ween sci
ence and ar
t,l
ogi
cand
i
magi
nati
on.“Whole-
brai
n”thinki
ng.
Howt
oThi
nkl
ikeDaVi
nci
:
 Embr
acewhol
e-br
aint
hinki
ng

 St
udyt
hear
tofsci
enceandt
hesci
enceofar
t

 Lear
ntoor
gani
zey
ouri
deas,
plans,
goal
sort
hought
sbymi
ndmappi
ng
6.Cor
por
ali
tà—Thecul
ti
vat
ionofgr
ace,
ambi
dext
eri
ty,
fit
ness,
andpoi
se.
Howt
oThi
nkl
ikeDaVi
nci
:
 Bef
it
,heal
thyandst
rong

 Makey
ourbodyf
lexi
bleandr
elaxed

 Bewar
eofangerandav
oidgr
iev
ousmoods.

 Exer
cisemoder
atel
y.

 Keepy
ourmi
ndcheer
ful
.

 Eatsi
mpl
e(i
.e.
,veget
ari
an)f
ood.

 Cul
ti
vat
eAmbi
dext
eri
ty

7.Connessi
one—Arecogni
ti
onofandappr
eci
ati
onf
ort
hei
nter
connect
ednessofal
lthi
ngs
andphenomena.Sy
stemsthinki
ng.
Howt
oThi
nkl
ikeDaVi
nci
:
 Embr
acewhol
e-br
aint
hinki
ng

 St
udyt
hear
tofsci
enceandt
hesci
enceofar
t

 Pr
act
icemi
ndmapi
ng