How To Party Like Leonardo Da Vinci

After studying scores of great thinkers like Leonardo Da Vinci, I think I've stumbled upon what really set them apart from the rest of the folks living (and thinking) at the same time.

It's remarkably simple. They learned how to entertain a thought.

Aristotle said, "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."

Hmmm. To entertain a thought without accepting it.

We need to do that. Everyone needs to learn how to be a good host or hostess to new ideas. In fact, our goal should be to become the Martha Stewart of mental entertaining!

What if you treated a new thought like a guest?

It's easier to think about mental entertaining if we put together a to-do list, just like Martha. Here it is:

#1 Make the first move.

First of all, you issue an invitation. Nothing fancy. You don't have to make any major investment or lifelong commitment. You're simply inviting this person in.

It's the same with initiating the entertainment of an idea. You might see a quote on the side of a bus somewhere, and decide you'd like to explore that concept more deeply. Or, maybe you find yourself bumping into the same topic all the time, and so you make up your mind to learn more about it. Either way, you need to be ready to initiate the process. Don't hide--you won't meet new ideas if you scurry away whenever the doorbell rings.

#2 Prepare.

Uh-oh. Your house is a mess. You'd better do some cleaning. You're not really trying to impress, but hey, you could certainly do some sprucing up and get the place looking neat and inviting.

Prepare for a new thought in the same way. Make some space in your mind to think about something new. According to Deepak Chopra, the well-known author on health and longevity, the average human has 60,000 thoughts a day. Pretty impressive? Well, here's the kicker: 57,000 of those are the same ones you had YESTERDAY! Now that's some serious clutter! Get rid of a few of those dusty old thoughts and make room for new ones.

#3 Offer a warm greeting.

When your new guest arrives, be warm and inviting. After all, you're hoping to start a friendship. Put your best foot forward.

It's the same with an idea. If you confront it with skepticism, fear or detachment, you won't be entertaining it for long. You'll be eyeing your watch, yawning, or looking for a way to end the discussion early. You've got to be open and full of anticipation to prepare an environment in which new ideas will be explored and integrated fully. Just as it's no fair making lame excuses or having your friend call to interrupt the visit, it's also cheating to cut out too soon when it comes to entertaining an idea.

#4 Make introductions.

This is the big one. You would certainly introduce your guest to everyone at the party, with a special effort to connect them to those with whom they may have something in common.

Any new idea you consider will be more likely to be welcomed if you actively and intentionally introduce it to your other ideas and interests. Look for unusual and inspired pairings. How does it fit? Where does it fit? DOES it fit? You won't know until you try.

Picture Leonardo Da Vinci's mental entertaining. His new idea, Human Flight, arrives, and immediately Leo sets about introducing him to others. "Human, meet my good friend, Engineering, and his lovely wife, Fabric Design. Oh, and have you met Bird Anatomy? She lives just around the corner from you. Oh, Dr. Entomology has arrived! Listen, Dr. E is absolutely brilliant, but a bit hard of hearing. Ask her about her recent work on the wings of insects! Now, you all make yourselves comfy and I'll go get some more wine."

What happened at that party? Leonardo threw these ideas together, and BAM! What emerged was the idea for a perfectly designed parachute as well as a remarkable helicopter--hundreds of years before the Wright brothers started building their flying machines! Talk about a soaring success! Don't you wish you'd been there?

#5 Offer the best seat in the house.

You usually sit in that nice chair there by the fireplace, but when a special guest comes over, you graciously offer it.

When you are entertaining a new thought, give it the consideration it deserves. Every time you think a new thought, your brain is actually creating a new neural pathway. It's like a jungle in there, full of nerve endings and ganglia and all kinds of connections. Help it along. Make it comfortable.

Once you've considered an idea, that pathway is there. All you have to do to keep it "live" is to keep going down that path often enough to clear the trail, but not so often that it becomes a rut.

#6 Listen, inquire, and show interest.

Ask questions. Dig a little deeper. Find the connections to other people, places, and activities. Learn as much as you can about your new idea.

#7 Relinquish control.

Just like when you introduce guests to each other, you should not try to control the outcome. Some guests might hate each other on sight, while others click instantly. People might argue, or a married guest might sneak off to a back room with someone other than their partner. Anything can happen!

That's not up to you. You're having this party to offer an opportunity for people to connect. Make introductions, insert a few comments, smile and acknowledge everyone, but for the most part, just let things happen. Don't direct the flow of ideas.

#8 Leave room for future possibilities.

Even if you decide this new acquaintance of yours is insufferable, you don't want to burn any bridges. Be gracious, and be glad you were excellent enough to offer the invitation.

You're not going to like every idea that comes your way. And you might not find any other interest or idea that connects with it initially. That's fine. You need to develop the ability to recognize useful concepts and distinguish valuable and valid ideas from those lacking a strong foundation. That's what critical thinking is all about.

But you also need to file that idea away so that you can look it up if and when you DO meet a likely candidate for another gathering of thoughts.

There is a great deal of room for different styles of mental entertaining. Maybe you're best at dealing with only two ideas at a time, or maybe you want to throw a huge bash and welcome all comers.

Entertain in whatever style suits you. Tete-a-tete or bacchanal--it doesn't matter, as long as it's happening.

Learn how to entertain a thought. With a little effort, you'll become a perfect host or hostess to new ideas that come your way. And guess what? You'll have no hangover, no cleaning up, and no regrets.

Party on!

About The Author

Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse. Her course, Massage Your Mind!: Defining Your Life Philosophy, has inspired thinkers in over 70 countries around the world. Maya publishes the Friday Mind Massage, a free weekly ezine serving up a satisfying blend of clarity, comfort and comic relief. To learn more, visit http://www.massageyourmind.com or http://www.mindmasseuse.com today!

maya@massageyourmind.com

---

Transformational Leadership

"What is leadership?" When this question is asked most of... Read More

What Makes A Good Leader? Ask Uncle Sam

What do the major generals who are leading the war... Read More

Visions of Leadership

Right about now, you've made the discovery that... Read More

Top Skills Of Extraordinary Leaders

1. Good Communicator. Extraordinary Leaders are those who can take... Read More

Chris Top 7 Favorite Leadership Books

1. The West Point Way of Leadership.GREAT book by a... Read More

Introduction to the The Enneagram as a Leadership Tool

The Enneagram is a fascinating tool of nine orientations that... Read More

It?s Not All About Cheese: The Missing Component in Employee Development (Part 1)

Spencer Johnson really hit a nerve when he wrote Who... Read More

A Call to Men to Live a Strenuous Life!

Any man would be justly proud to claim even a... Read More

Leadership Is Power: Test Your Ethics

"The payoff for the ethical person is a reputation for... Read More

The Seven Secrets to New Age Leadership

Did you ever notice that In our American culture, we... Read More

Lessons In Leadership: What Not To Do... From A Canoe!

When it comes to fishing, my husband takes the lead.... Read More

Steps to Becoming a Good Leader

STEPS TO BECOMING A GOOD LEADER: 1. Develop a master... Read More

5 Power Keys For Leadership Success!

Did you know that you can successfully handle most leadership... Read More

In Leadership, Identifying Dreams That Lead To Great Results

History teaches that when people needed to do great things,... Read More

Using Your Intuition

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our... Read More

Managing Monsters in Meetings - Part 2, Multiple Conversations

Side conversations ruin meetings by destroying focus and fragmenting participation.Approach... Read More

None of Us Arrived with an Owners Manual: A Fresh Perspective on the Drive to Lead (part 2)

Why didn't I get an Owner's ManualAfter a little while... Read More

The Goals of Leadership Coaching and Partnerships

Webster's Dictionary describes a "partner" as an ally or an... Read More

Building Self Confidence

As a hypnotherapist I specialise in helping people to develop... Read More

Character -- Why It Matters In Leaders

"Character is much easier kept than recovered." -Thomas Paine"The best... Read More

7 Awesome Leadership Power Generators!

7 Awe-Inspiring Leadership Power-Generating Strategies!Here's a really simple way you... Read More

Leaders ARE; Are you?

Identity CrisisIt's not only the knowledge you carry around in... Read More

Leadership Development for Success

In today's highly competitive world, there is a lot of... Read More

What Kind of Leader Are You?

There are literally millions of words written and spoken each... Read More

Dont be Afraid to Lead!

In most aspects of human activity, the pendulum of fashion... Read More

Leadership Training and Character

The vast majority of leadership training available to managers focuses... Read More

What Kind of Leader Are You?

You are a leader if someone is following you. This... Read More

Ten Ways Women Can Visualize Themselves As Leaders

Women should not be afraid of or feel guilty about... Read More

Are You a Good Manager or a Great Leader?

Your word is your truth - Know that when you... Read More

Pure Discipline

General George S. Patton was born on November 11, 1885... Read More

The Four Laws Of Leadership (Part Two)

In Part One, I described the laws of motivation. In... Read More

Benefits of Leadership Skill Training

DESCRIPTION CMOE's Leadership Skill Training addresses a wide range of... Read More

To be, or Not to be (Average)?

When is hate OK? When it's the feeling you have... Read More