Emotional Intelligence: Do you, have it?

I strongly believe that a lot of our world and personal issues can be resolved through Emotional Intelligence (EI). “EI is the ability to manage both your own emotions and understand the emotions of people around you,” according to Mental Health America. There are also five elements that make up EI which include self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills.

Having EI can take time, and one may need practice at it, but if you are self-aware, then you can control your emotions and manage just about any situation you are faced in. Now, this does not mean that this will control other people’s emotions and how they may react, or will solve all your problems, but being EI means that you can recognize how others are feelings and use that to your advantage in how you respond. You will also better understand why an individual was feeling a certain way, or may have thought a certain way.

Being EI can not only help you professionally but also in your personal life as well. We live in a sensitized world where anything you say or do can be used against you. Due to this sensitivity, it may cause you to have to walk on eggshells around certain people because you don’t know what may set them off. If you are emotionally aware, it will help you channel your feelings and their feeling as well.

With everything that is going around the world such as politics, pandemics, racism, social media, cancel culture, and so much more, it is a lot to try to process all at once. We continue to take in so much information on a daily basis and hardly ever sit down to navigate the emotional side to all of it. This includes identifying what you’re feeling and how it makes you feel. Then you must take those feelings and make sense of them. This is where EI comes into play.

I have been working on my own EI, and I must say it does make a difference in how I approach something or someone, and how I manage situations differently now, than I would have as a younger me. This is personal growth. So, the next time you are faced with someone or something that makes you angry or upset, instead of just reacting, stop, take a beat, and reflect on how something is making you feel and process it before you respond. I challenge you to tap into your EI and start seeing how it can positively impact your life.

Photo Credit: Christina Morillo

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