“My EQ brings all the boys to the yard…” No Kelis, probably not.

But your EQ could bring a lot of other things. Wikipedia defines Emotional Intelligence (EQ or EI) as “the ability to recognize one’s own and other people’s emotions, to discriminate between different feelings and label them appropriately, and to use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior.”

According to Entrepreneur, “When emotional intelligence first appeared to the masses, it served as the missing link in a peculiar finding: people with average IQs outperform those with the highest IQs 70% of the time. This anomaly threw a massive wrench into what many people had always assumed was the sole source of success—IQ. Decades of research now point to emotional intelligence as the critical factor that sets star performers apart from the rest of the pack.”

“How much of an impact does emotional intelligence have on your professional success? The short answer is: a lot! It’s a powerful way to focus your energy in one direction with a tremendous result. TalentSmart tested emotional intelligence alongside 33 other important workplace skills, and found that emotional intelligence is the strongest predictor of performance, explaining a full 58% of success in all types of jobs.”

“90% of top performers are also high in emotional intelligence. On the flip side, just 20% of bottom performers are high in emotional intelligence. You can be a top performer without emotional intelligence, but the chances are slim.”

Ok cool, but can I increase my EQ? YES! Psychology Today offers 6 tips…

1. The Ability to Reduce Negative Emotions – Perhaps no aspect of EQ is more important than our ability to effectively manage our own negative emotions, so they don’t overwhelm us and affect our judgment. In order to change the way we feel about a situation, we must first change the way we think about it.

2. The Ability to Stay Cool and Manage Stress – Most of us experience some level of stress in life. How we handle stressful situations can make the difference between being assertive versus reactive, and poised versus frazzled. When under pressure, the most important thing to keep in mind is to keep our cool.

3. The Ability to Be Assertive and Express Difficult Emotions When Necessary – There are times in all of our lives when it’s important to set our boundaries appropriately, so people know where we stand. These can include exercising our right to disagree (without being disagreeable), saying “no” without feeling guilty, setting our own priorities, getting what we paid for, and protecting ourselves from duress and harm.

4. The Ability to Stay Proactive, Not Reactive in the Face of a Difficult Person – Most of us encounter unreasonable people in our lives. We may be “stuck” with a difficult individual at work or at home, but our response is what counts.

5. The Ability to Bounce Back from Adversity – Life is not always easy. We all know that. How we choose the way we think, feel, and act in relation to life’s challenges can often make the difference between hope versus despair, optimism versus frustration, and victory versus defeat.

6. The Ability to Express Intimate Emotions in Close, Personal Relationships – The ability to effectively express and validate tender, loving emotions is essential to maintaining close personal relationships. In this case, “effective” means sharing intimate feelings with someone in an appropriate relationship, in a manner that’s nourishing and constructive, and being able to respond affirmatively when the other person does the same.

If you’re still not convinced about EQ, digest this last bit from Entrepreneur – “The link between emotional intelligence and earnings is so direct that every point increase in emotional intelligence adds $1,300 to an annual salary. These findings hold true for people in all industries, at all levels, in every region of the world.”

Now relax and digest some Spicy Nutella Vanilla Milkshake…

Description: This milkshake is just the right amount of spice mixed with creamy, sweet goodness. I might recommend the addition of some Baileys as well…

Spicy Nutella Vanilla Milkshake

Ingredients:

2 cups vanilla ice cream
1/4 cup Nutella
1/4 cup almond milk
Dash Cayenne pepper
Cocoa powder and chocolate sprinkles for garnish

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in blender, except cocoa powder and sprinkles, and blend until smooth and creamy.
2. Pour into cup and garnish with cocoa powder and sprinkles. Enjoy immediately!

“A single conversation with a wise man during the eating of a meal, is better than ten years’ mere study of books.”

-Chinese Proverb

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