I heard a speaker marvel about the Seven Wonders of the World: the Pyramids, the Taj Mahal, the Eiffel Tower. He then spoke about a young girl who had a different list of seven wonders: to smell, taste, see, hear, touch, laugh and love.
I feel a sense of joy when I think of the young girl’s list. But I also have my own list of what I find amazing. For me it is the seven skills that move the mind: attention, short and long term memory, auditory processing, visual processing, logic & reasoning and processing speed. Here’s what they do and why they are wonderful!
Attention: This is your ability to focus and take in new stimuli. Can you sustain concentrate over time? Are you able to work through distractions? Thank your ability to pay attention.
Short-Term/Working Memory: All day, your mind holds information for a short time while you process the information. Short-term or working memory helps you learn new tasks and ideas.
Long-Term Memory: Say hello to your file-and-retrieval system. Your long-term memory is where you hold information for future use.
Auditory Processing: No, it’s not how your ears hear, but how your brain processes sound. You use this skill while listening during conversations, following directions, spelling, and reading with comprehension.
Visual Processing: Much like auditory processing, visual processing is not about what your eye sees, it’s about how your brain computes visual information. Visual processing is how you brain sees patterns, becomes aware of details and comprehends visual input.
Logic & Reasoning: This pair allows you to understand patterns, find solutions and propose alternatives.
Processing Speed: You need this skill to take in information and execute a task quickly.
The eighth wonder? Anyone can improve any of these skills with proper training.
What’s on your list of seven wonders?
