 How old is your mind? The way you think. This goes beyond what books you've read, the years you've lived, or the grades you pull. Perhaps you've been told that you're wise for your years, or the other way around. Where you surprise people by understanding and learning like someone X number of years younger than you. It's one of the few times being markedly different is considered a good thing, and some people manage to stay closer to optimal than others. Are you one of them? Let's take a look at some ways you can tell. Number one, you have bursts of energy and focus. Yeah, we know you can game for hours and your twitch feed is blown up right now, but that's not exactly what we're talking about. Are you able to laser guide your focus on a task to meet a goal? Do you notice yourself still excited and working on an objective that others quit a long time ago? Despite in the beginning everyone saying they wanted the same thing. This can be a sign of your brain remaining flexible and ready to dance. Being able to retain that ability to assimilate and integrate new knowledge via the same kind of focus and determination is a sign of intelligence. Number two, you are aware of and value your time. Does your relaxation still involve doing? Maybe it's not work, but you're still doing something, and if you're forced to just sit and not read, not talk, not think, uh, yeah, you feel that hyper awareness of time, your time, taking away that splinter in your mind, driving you mad. Okay, I'm kidding. Sorry, you're not likely Neo, but mindless twiddling does bug you. You could be reading that article you put away for later, you could be starting that craft project, you could be figuring out how to do that thing, you could be doing something that is meaningful, purposeful, and useful to you. If you'd rather do that than a mindless activity like blindly scrolling through social media or picking at your fingernails, this demonstrates a desire to learn and to stimulate your brain, which is smart. Number three, you enjoy learning. Have you felt dissatisfaction and no desire to participate in activities that stay the same? The person next to you may be content doing the same unchanging thing repeatedly, and when you invite them to take a new course with you or attend a convention where you can learn more about something, they give you a look that says, but why? Basically, there is knowledge out there, knowledge about that thing you like and you hunger for it. So, you've had a lesson or learned a concept, and just like a good snack, you just can't stop at one. We can always improve, and our desire to climb higher for ourselves also improves that desire to be smarter. Be that need. Number four, you can think sideways, long ways, and always. Have you gotten a response of, I never thought of it that way, to a solution or idea you've profered? Maybe you gave a creative working solution and even though no one responded, you found your solution being used anyhow. Don't worry, some people just can't admit you suggested something they hadn't and wouldn't have thought of. This doesn't negate the fact that you still blew their mind. And thought outside the box. Give yourself bonus points for emotional intelligence, though, if they do admit you outthought them. Because you did something to make them willing to swallow their pride. If you find yourself surprising others with new perspectives, ideas, and solutions, especially with a wide variety of people, you're flexing that critical thinking muscle. Number five, looking into who someone is, not what they look like. Do you walk yourself back from making a snap judgment of someone? Maybe you're willing to give them the benefit of the doubt until you've had the chance to observe or know them more. You want to see the person behind the persona. Your conversation with them doesn't skirt on the innate, but delves into finding out how they think, their opinions, and who they are. Having an ability to treat people for who they are on the inside, rather than how they look on the outside, is a deep sign of both kindness and emotional intelligence. And number six, your ship of emotions has an even keel. Short version, you think and chill before tackling a situation. Any situation. We mean, even if you really just want to give that prickly argumentative person a dope slap, you don't. Not worth the assault charges, you know? Even when your friend is doing something really unwise, you resist the urge to blurt out, don't get carried away. Are you even thinking? No. No. You take a good oxygen to the brain breath and think about how best to help and not harm. You consider how your words would affect them. So you put some thought into phrasing it as best as possible instead of whipping back with a curt verbal slap. Naturally, you need to feel what you feel. That's the human condition. What's smart, though, is when you find ways to deal with your feelings to the benefit of everyone rather than depending on reflex and impulse. Side note of reassurance. Occasionally, no matter how well you phrase something and how thoroughly you've thought out an action, some people will still obstinately refuse to be decent. That's on them. Not on you. Please don't stress. You're good. You did your thing. Do you feel smarter or better about your smarts? Perhaps you recognized one of these points and now realize, hey, that's a good thing. Perhaps you recognize these traits in someone else. And you can now either have them watch this video or give them some complimentary recognition and make their day. Feel free to share or discuss. Feel good and feel smart. And we know that you know another smart thing is to like us and maybe watch another one of our videos. See you soon.