This is an incredible moment in your life.
For the first time, you’re truly independent. No curfew. No one telling you what to do every minute. You’re discovering who you are, what you like, what you don’t.
But you’re also navigating something else: a world that’s fast-paced, competitive, and loud. Everyone’s telling you THE way to do things. What diet to follow. How much to work out. What career to choose. What success should look like.
Here’s the thing: There’s not one way. There are so many ways to do life.
And the way you find YOUR way? By listening to the wisdom you’ve had inside you all along.
The Intelligence You Weren’t Taught About
From day one, society taught you that intelligence is measured one way: SAT scores. IQ tests. Grades. That’s it.
I know this well because I didn’t score high on any of those things. For 20 years, I carried a story that I wasn’t smart. I tried to fit into this linear, logical, mathematical way of learning, and none of it resonated.
Then I discovered the research.
Harvard professor Howard Gardner and psychologist Daniel Goleman found that we all have multiple forms of intelligence that go way beyond test scores.
Kinesthetic Intelligence – your body’s ability to learn, process, and communicate through movement.
Emotional Intelligence – your ability to connect with your emotions and have awareness of others.
When these two are activated together, leadership performance increases by 90%. And I’m not just talking about corporate leadership—I’m talking about leading your own life with friends, community, study groups and more.
Mindset vs. Bodyset
Right now, your body is trying to tell you things:
- When you walk into a room and something feels off: your stomach flips, your heart races
- When you meet someone and feel like you’ve known them forever
- When you’re in a relationship that doesn’t feel right, you’re filled with angst and confusion
These aren’t random signals. These are messages about what’s safe, what’s aligned, and what needs your attention.
Your Body Is Speaking to You
Right now, your body is trying to tell you things:
- When you walk into a room and something feels off: your stomach flips, your heart races
- When you meet someone and feel like you’ve known them forever
- When you’re in a relationship that doesn’t feel right, you’re filled with angst and confusion
These aren’t random signals. These are messages about what’s safe, what’s aligned, and what needs your attention.
An Invitation
You’re in a moment where you get to carve your own path. Not your parents’ path. Not what social media says. Not what everyone else is doing.
Your path.
You have intelligence that goes beyond what any test can measure. You have body wisdom that’s been there all along, waiting for you to listen.
So pay attention. Trust what you feel. Let your body guide you.
Because when you lead from your truth, you become the leader the world needs.
Jen Aks is a TEDx speaker, author of Your Body Is Speaking, and embodied leadership expert who helps students trust their body’s intelligence to navigate stress, make authentic decisions, and lead with clarity. Through CAMPUSPEAK, she brings somatic practices to universities so students graduate knowing who they are. Learn more at jenaks.com.