Emotional Intelligence: Rules from my Mum

For over a decade now, the issue of teaching Emotional Intelligence has become hot trending topic.

Everybody is talking about it, there are the skeptics and then there are the ones who'll swallow everything trending without so much as a question.

I'm neither one nor the other. I just think that emotionally  intelligent people have been around forever and it seems a little bit interesting that some of us are only just waking up to that fact. 
But as my people would say, " your morning is when you wake up" and usually whenever they do, we say good morning to them all the same.

These day, a lot of people are paying huge amount of money to coaches and experts to help them become emotionally intelligent.

I admire those who are advocating for its inclusion in school and by all means, I think we should.

However, I admire even more my Mum who taught me a lot of what is now being defined as "emotional intelligence".

Back in the days, it had other names...

Back in the days, it was not a school subject but you learnt it anyway.

There were no refresher courses or coaching session, but you never forget.

The rules were simple:

“Treat others the same way you want to be treated”.

“Understand them, and even when you can’t,  you don’t judge”.

“Be kind to people, everyone you meet is fighting some battle”.

“A kind word turns away wrath, but retorts blurted out in haste and without considerations will weaken and even poison a saint”.

“Always extend a helping hand, you never know when you might need it back”.

“Take people up, it could be quite lonely at the top and you will need all the help you can get, and some nice company won´t hurt you”.

“Everyone is your teacher; superiors, peers and subordinate alike. Learn, learn and never stop learning”.

“A cheerful disposition makes a lot of things a whole lot easier. Keep a smile about”.

There were other rules where those came from, but then I´m trying to keep this post short.

In leadership, management and all other interpersonal relationships, the need for emotionally intelligent people can not be overempazised and over the years, after Daniel Goleman´s bestselling book, Emotional Intelligence a lot is still being written about it. People are still learning and gradually we are all becoming more aware of the benefits of being emotionally intelligent and encouraging the same in others.