Emotional intelligence is the superpower that pushes the boundaries of conventional thinking. It means people have presence, and are accounted for. It means we take intelligent risks: the way we do relationships, how we work, how we relate to ourselves, and why we do what we do. It gives us ALL the ability to be incredibly wise, connected, satisfied humans. Here are 16 reasons why you want emotional intelligence:
1. You want to belong. Being emotionally intelligent means you are curious and inclusive about others, not othering others.
2. You want to make a difference. Emotionally skilled people make a difference in the ways conversations are held, people are recognized, policies are made, and how the world works.
3. You want to get smart emotionally because you long to experience life, not just live it. Being adept at emotions means you don't spend most of your time in anxiety and/or fear. And because you aren't hiding doing perceived damage control, you are in the moment, experiencing the joy, discomfort, satisfactions and frustrations with curiosity and awareness.
4. You want to matter. Period.
5. You want to spend your days in curiosity, not stuffing down your feelings and bucking up to just get through another day. See #3.
6. You want to share who you are, to create an atmosphere of cooperation and success. You have that one person, right? The one who you can be totally yourself around? Having emotional intelligence means that we can be fully ourselves all the time- at home, at work to all the places in between. But we do have boundaries! It means that we know and use our boundaries with skill so that the relationships we have personally and professionally feel creative, aware, and connected.
7. You want to know how to take care of conflict and resolve differences productively. When you have emotion skill you can handle conflict with interest. Who is "right" and who is "wrong" becomes obsolete. Because we understand that through awareness we find solutions, not winners and losers.
8. You want honest self awareness. Then we can have honest awareness of others, which creates relationships that can handle tough disappointments and unabashedly celebrate great joy.
9. You want to sense and see quickly and efficiently what needs to happen. There's not time spent on self doubt, gossip, or character defamation. When we're emotionally intelligent we are willing to look at what's happening and manage it with candid discernment, which leads to greater satisfaction personally and professionally.
10. You want to get really good at your emotions because it makes the world a better place. Can you imagine a world where we all feel seen, heard, and cared for? What's it like to live in a place like that? I can imagine living there, and it brings humanity to a whole new level!
11. You want close, fulfilling relationships. Connection is something we all long for- whether it's one other person who values you, or several relationships that support your life. When we take the time to be emotionally skilled in our relationships they naturally become more fulfilling for everyone involved. And fulfilled people make the world a better place.
12. You want to show interest. When you have emotional intelligence you feel confident not having all the answers. "I don't know" is no longer something to be ashamed of, instead we are straightforward and genuinely curious.
13. You want to have a rich and vibrant life. Emotional skill means that you can feel. You no longer spend your time in the bland, constrictive, suffocating place of keeping yourself over-regulated. Instead, you trust yourself and others to manage emotions with honesty and care.
14. You want to make money and use it more wisely. When we are good at emotions we are more productive, creative, driven, confident, and collaborate better. We make better decisions. Research shows that people with higher emotional intelligence make an average of $29,000 more each year than those with lower emotional intelligence.
15. You prefer inhabiting your own life with ownership and awareness so you can feel comfortable encouraging others to do the same. Emotionally Intelligent people know their worth. They are confident that they have value and something to contribute. They are inquisitive and can flow well with others.
16. You desire the deep sense of well being and satisfaction that comes from having strong emotional intelligence. When we have higher emotional intelligence we are connected to ourselves. We know who we are, and evolve over time. We are pleased with who we are, even when things get tough. We feel connected, supported, and valued.
Emotional Intelligence is a long game. It’s not instant gratification. It’s building that skill and relationship over a lifetime. You want it because you want to create a well-rounded, rich, vibrant, and full life. You want to trust others to be as smart as you are about handling emotions.
Emotions are the next frontier. Every person in the world has something unique and wonderful to offer, and making emotional intelligence as important as say...education, we can create a world of individuals that thrive together. We have confidence in our abilities, aren’t afraid of failure, or of making mistakes. We collaborate with infinite curiosity. Our personal and professional lives compliment one another. Life becomes about living it, not winning it.
And why wouldn’t we all want that?