SQ21: The Twenty-One Skills of Spiritual Intelligence

by Cindy Wigglesworth

According to author Cindy Wigglesworth, Spiritual Intelligence is the ability to behave with wisdom and compassion while maintaining inner and outer peace regardless of the situation. In her new book, The Twenty-One Skills of Spiritual Intelligence , Cindy helps us understand how spiritual intelligence is analogous to such concepts as IQ and emotional intelligence (EQ). Using clear, practical language she defines the 21 skills that comprise spiritual intelligence and in doing so, teaches you the steps to begin developing your own spiritual intelligence. Cindy refers to her method as spiritual weightlifting-a process whereby we work to develop our muscles to shift away from thinking with our self-focused ego to behaving from our more loving and peaceful Higher Self. Her model is both faith-friendly and faith-neutral, and SQ21 offers a way for atheists, people of faith, and those who are spiritual but not religious to understand each other and discuss our universal concerns. These skills are especially crucial for those in positions of leadership, since they help us to make decisions on a higher level while in the midst of stress, complexity, and high rates of change. If you want more peace, wisdom and compassion in your life - SQ21 is the book for you.

Genres: Spirituality, Nonfiction, Religion, Self Help

213 pages, Hardcover

First published October 4, 2012

Reviews

[Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am glad this is one that I bought. There is a lot of good perspectives within this book, and while the 21 skills may be subjective, I think it really helped add definition to a subject that is inherently “squishy”.

In all honesty, I have an immediate reaction to anything labeled “spiritual”, but have started to accept the label. Sam Harris speaks quite a bit about non-religious spirituality which I have appreciated. However, this book was very accommodating to any religious, or non-religious world view.

I hope to read this again in the future and recognize that I have acted with intention to develop in these “skills”.

[Ally · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd probably give it another star if it weren't for the fact that there is just "something" about it I didn't care for. Maybe it's just me, and I should give it another star. I did learn from it. If I say any more, it won't do it the justice it does deserve. In a word, I'm "ambivalent" about this one.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really bad at making personal changes after reading "self help" booked like this. That said, this book made a lot of sense to me and I think I will use some of the techniques it suggests to be a better person.

[Menatallah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting & highlights how all human beings are alike at the core

[Jessica Pryor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did a book study on this one a while ago. Her definition of Spiritual Intelligence is acting with wisdom and compassion in every situation all the time. I don't think I'm alone in feeling like I have quite a bit of room for growth in that area. She breaks it down to 21 skills (I think she groups them, too) and gives tools to help build up your skill. I could use reviewing it.

[Julie L · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has important content and I am very interested in doing the SQ test at some point to test out the science behind the theory.

The trouble with the book is that it's written by a business person for a business audience (primarily), and as such is rather dry and flat in its writing style. It fails to truly engage.
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[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical Enlightenment

Outstanding reading. She helps us with habits and practices that will make our lives better in addition to helping make the world better. This one is worth reading twice.

[Sean Cairns · Rating 5 out of 5]

After 20 years of reading self development books, I rate this as outstanding! The steps to achieving an advanced state of awareness and spirituality are clearly defined and well explained, with the added bonus of actually being able to measure your level of achievement. Very highly recommended!

[Amy Durham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book clearly defines 21 tangible skills that you can work on for a better workplace environment and life.

[Bett Correa-Bollhoefer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous. Very actionable.

[Gabriela García-torres · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book to read

The book offers a variety of clues to mesure our spiritual path. It is very usefull for people who want to know themselves and to help the others. And also for those who desire to build an enterprise for helping people.

[Camille Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I'll spend the rest of my life working through this book. It's very humbling. You'll think you're a pretty compassionate person and culturally sensitive (heck, I spent three years in the Peace Corps!) THEN you realize that the bar is set very high indeed.

To truly understand, for example, she has the exercise where you think of the most reprehensible act/person you can, and then try to see it through THEIR eyes.

I skimmed through the book to get a sense of what it was about, took a look at the "how to," and then sat back to ponder. Three concepts stood out for me. First, I learned about the road to compassion. I thought I WAS compassionate, but--oops--I'm usually just empathetic (which is a precursor to compassion). The compassionate person feels called to act, to intervene, to help. Without action, it's just empathy.

Then I learned that about 'the higher self.' Our egos keep pushing aside our higher self. So we must learn to put the brakes on the ego's acts (except when it's doing its job and protecting us). To do that we must delve into our egos, face them, understand them. This process reminds me somewhat of Zen's goal, living in the moment.

Lastly (this run through anyway) was the importance of understanding others. One path is to really grasp (and name!) the biases we all have. I'm a white, middle class, highly educated American woman raised a Christian. It's very hard to understand why a young, educated, upper class Muslim woman in Kashmir can accept an arranged marriage.

Bottom line: there's a great deal of meat here if one wants to move in that direction.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great introduction to different lines of development and easy on-ramp for people who aren't into spirituality, self-growth, etc. to still appreciate and develop the skills of "behaving with wisdom and compassion while maintaining inner and outer peace (equanimity) regardless of the circumstances.”

As opposed to other books in this genre, this is easy to read and understand. Sometimes the readability comes at the cost of depth, but I think it's a good conscious choice because it makes the book easy to recommend and pass on to friends. There is absolutely no "new-age" factor, and Cindy's personal stories of development accentuate and ground the lessons.

[Luca · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book that won't leave you alone is my short reading experience. Spiritual Intelligence is something I found interesting and was for the last couple of months even more in search of good material. This book explains the concepts and introduces the reader in a simple yet powerful and inspirational way to definitions, thoughts, examples and relevant clues as to when, how and what. Furthermore, I loved the last part of the book where it gets down to actually implementing this method for yourself, step by step and lesson by lesson. This is undiscovered territory that needs fare more attention and application at home, doing business, etc. Really great stuff!!!

[George Sroka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Practical approach to spiritual development. A bit too academic for my tastes, but worth the time.

[Zoë Routh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A definitive guide to holistic advanced emotional intelligence. A helpful guide to develop yourself.

[Anamika]

Several activities to do to raise the spiritual quotient. Now to do them