Dear Friends,
There is so much talk these days about the value of emotional intelligence but what is it and what difference does it make? Emotional intelligence includes the awareness of our emotions, the ability to manage our emotions, and the use of our emotions to understand and connect with others. This will be our summer focus. Let’s start by defining the ways God intends for emotions to function.
-
Emotions are an important early detection system that clues us in on how significant or important things are to us. For example, you get informed that your boss wants to meet with you in his office. What do you feel, and how strong is this emotion? This gives you an awareness in how significant an interaction like this is to you.
-
Emotions are energizing. The word means energy in motion and tends to motivate us to do something. After hearing you need to meet with your boss, you may be motivated to check out your appearance in order to present as professionally as you can.
-
Emotions give us the capacity to feel the same thing God, and others feel. They help us relate and when working properly are one of our most important tools for developing and deepening relationships. For instance, When entering your boss’s office, you may instinctively tune into reading his body language to adjust your feelings to what you sense he may be feeling.
We encourage you to take time to notice and become aware of your emotional responses as this is the first step to becoming more emotionally intelligent. Then, join us next month as we dive into simple steps that help you manage or regulate your emotions.
Sincerely,
The Willow Springs Counseling Team