So what is Emotional Intelligence (EI)? It is something we all have like an IQ, however its focus is on our behaviours/emotions and how we deal with people and situations. Research has shown that a high EI is the key element that sets high performers apart from the rest of the crowd.

Just like your IQ, you can work on developing and improving your EI. Here are my top 10 tips for improving your EI.

1. Embrace change – be flexible and adaptable. We have all heard the saying “the person with the most flexibility wins”.
2. Be curious about people. The more you understand all facets, the more you care, and the more empathy you have.
3. You have a high emotional vocabulary – you are able to say exactly what you are feeling eg I am feeling irritated, sad, blissful, at peace, rather than bad or good.
4. You say no. You are not wishy washy, you don’t make excuses it is either yes or no and it feels right for you.
5. You let go and learn from mistakes. Own it, learn from it and then let it go. You understand that dwelling in the past serves no one.
6. You give without expecting anything in return.
7. You understand that there is no such thing as perfection when it comes to being human.
8. You are grateful and appreciative of what you have. Rather than bemoaning what you don’t have you count your blessings daily.
9. You take time for yourself. You understand that you need to disconnect and take time for you, whether this is a quick 5 minute meditation or a walk around the block.
10. You don’t take yourself too seriously and are not easy to offend.

Take one of these tips each day and practise. If you stick with it, I promise you will notice a difference, not just in yourself but in your relationships with others.

Have a great day.
Deb

• Do you take advantage of every opportunity, ready or not?
• Do you wait until things a ‘perfect’ before saying yes?
• Do you think that others are just lucky?

So what is the difference between luck and opportunity?

Luck – success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one’s own actions.

Opportunity – a time or set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something.

Me, I chose to believe that luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.

Friday morning I received a call asking if I would like to participate in a workshop on Saturday, as the original presenter was no longer available. I was completely booked up from early am to late pm on the Friday. I also knew that I would have to leave home at 8:00 am on the Saturday to be down the coast in time to set myself up and greet the attendees. I didn’t have much wriggle room.

I could have easily said no, as I wasn’t 100% prepared and maybe had an hour to spare. I found myself saying yes.

Once I hung up the phone I had a moment of, oops what have I done, and then I realised that whilst I had only put pen to paper a week earlier on this particular workshop. I had already planned it in my head many times over. So I took 10 minutes and reduced the framework from a half day workshop to 90 minutes, designed a handout and then went about my day. Much later that evening, I put several dot points within the framework and reviewed and printed the handout. I was ready.

I could have said no and missed a wonderful opportunity. Instead I trusted myself and my abilities and had the pleasure of presenting my new emotional freedom technique (EFT) workshop – You, Me and EFT to a group of 14 women.

The day was a success, the workshop was a success, and I had the pleasure of connecting with some amazing women.

So keep your eyes peeled for my next You, Me and EFT workshop. Most importantly, do yourself a favour and say yes to opportunities as they present, if it is meant to be the details will fall into place. Luck is really an opportunity that you said yes to.

Have a great day.

Deb