“If your emotional abilities aren’t in hand, if you don’t have self-awareness… then no matter how smart you are, you are not going to get very far.”~ Daniel Goleman

Since I was a little girl, I have always been captivated by intelligent people. My father was an intelligent man…well-read, thoughtful, and deeply wise, so I was naturally exposed to art, culture, and literature through him. As I read and learned, my thirst for wisdom only deepened. I loved knowing that intelligence was something I could cultivate through reading and learning. I loved that it was within my control. And to this day, I continue to pursue it, happily and intentionally.

In my more naïve years, I believed that intelligence and emotional intelligence were one and the same. I assumed that intellectually intelligent people must also be emotionally intelligent. But how mistaken I was. Life has gently, and sometimes painfully, taught me that they are not synonymous. Intelligence does not automatically translate into emotional intelligence, just as education and social status do not guarantee empathy or compassion.

Through my healing journey, I have come to understand that emotional intelligence is not merely a social skill that can be acquired. It is something far deeper. It is inner maturity. It is the soul’s ability to remain awake and present in the face of emotions, its own and that of others.

Today, I would like to share with you the signs of genuine emotional intelligence as I have come to understand them over the years. This understanding has supported me profoundly in becoming the most healed, authentic, and grounded version of myself. And I have a feeling that as you read on, you may experience a few beautiful aha moments of your own. ❤