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Emotional Intelligence: 4 Benefits to Boost Success

This Skill is a Difference Maker at Work and in Life

Have you ever looked back on a Emotional intelligence lacking in this personconversation you had and thought, yeah, I definitely should have handled that better?  Yep… me too.

A friend of mine told me of her recent regretful
incident:

“I called my daughter’s dad to set up a trip
for her to visit him. And he made a couple
of comments about the cost of the flight and
the dates not working for him.

I was instantly mad.

To my credit, I knew what was happening at the time. But like a car whose brakes go out, I couldn’t stop the wreck. I started shouting my “extremely valid” points and making snarky remarks.

With neither of us wanting to deal with each other at that point—we hung up. It was an epic fail.”

Have you ever been in a situation like this? You were able to identify that you were feeling emotional… but felt helpless to stop it?

The great news is that when you learn (yes, it is a process) how to better manage your emotions by raising your “emotional intelligence,” things turn out MUCH better.

Read on to discover 4 compelling benefits from increasing your emotional intelligence (EQ).

“EQ has twice the power of IQ to predict performance [success]. EQ is also a better predictor than employee skill, knowledge, or expertise.” – Gerald Mount

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Affective Forecasting: Wrongly Imagining the Future

Research reveals things are rarely as bad (or good) as we imagine

Affective forecasting of our feelings in the future

Try this experiment. Imagine something you fear, even dread happening to you. Something really bad. Go ahead… I’ll wait.

Now, imagine those worst fears actually happen this coming week. What would your life be like 6 months from now? A year later?

Now, it’s time for our experiment to go to your happy place. Imagine one of your “dreams come true” happening this coming week. What would your life be like 6 months from now? A year later?

Now, take both of those imagined futures, good and bad, and throw them out the window. They are dead wrong.

Here’s the problem: research has revealed that you and I have a mental distortion in our perception of the future.

It confirms we humans have a huge problem accurately predicting how certain events, good or bad, will impact us… especially how we will feel in the future because of them.

It gets worse. Your inability to accurately forecast your future quality of life based on the impact current events have on you is undermining the quality of your decisions and your life TODAY. Read on to learn what you can do about it.

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Fear in Decision Making: How This F Word Messes You Up

3 Ways Fear Can Negatively Impact Your Decisions

Consistently making good decisions is not easy.

As a student of decision making, I have discovered LOTS of reasons you and I make lousy, or shall we say “less than optimum” decisions. I have undoubtedly experienced all of them many times over. You have, too.

There is one reason we need to talk about that is extremely frustrating to deal with… especially when others around you do it. So much so, that you are tempted to utter an F word.

This cause of poor decision making is also a 4-letter F word… FEAR.

If not addressed, fear will not only affect your decisions today but will also reduce your ability to improve your decision-making abilities in the future. Not good.

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The Benefits of Laughter: An Effective, Free Stress Fighter

We all need more vitamin L every day :)

Benefits of a good laughter“Laughter is an instant vacation.” – Milton Berle

“A good laugh and a long sleep are two
of the best cures for anything.” -Unknown

 

Most everyone loves a good laugh. Well, except certain grumpy, uptight people who never smile… you know who you are 🙁

But did you know that laughter has many, many health benefits, too? This includes dealing with stress.

Over 350 studies have established a ton of benefits that come to us when we laugh. There are just 4 benefits in particular that might surprise you.

1. Laughter releases potent endorphins. A good laugh releases a dose of endorphins, our feel-good hormone. Here’s why that is great news: endorphins help counteract the negative emotions and stress we experience in daily life. The effects of these endorphins are heightened… when we laugh with others.

Hmm… do you think that’s why we instinctively make a joke to lighten the mood in certain situations, to experience some relief?

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5 Dumb Decisions (Hilarious!): How To Avoid Bad Decisions

These Key Areas are Leading You to Make Bad Decisions

Dumb decisions madeHave you seen a dumb decision being made by someone?

Isn’t your first thought: What were you thinking?

But, I also have a second thought: How can I avoid a bad decision? …so others don’t think the first thought about me. 🙂

Here are 5 really funny, but dumb decisions that prompt the first question.

… then I want to show you 2 ways to avoid bad decisions in the future. (more…)

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Good Decision Making In God’s Will: 2 Errors You Must Avoid

Good decision making in God's willNate was wrestling with God again.

He wanted to choose the path God had for him. He wanted to exercise good decision making in God’s will.

The problem was he didn’t know what God wanted him to do.

Oh sure, he knew God didn’t want him murdering someone or stealing their stuff. But, the situation he faced was not so clear cut.

How could Nate be sure the decision he was making would be pleasing to God and turn out well? (more…)

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How to Make Good Decisions Despite Hidden Forces

Research reveals why some decisions turn out badly and how to prevent it

Making good decisionsHave you ever thought you were making good decisions that promised to make life better… and instead things got worse?

Things go off the road… and you are now a passenger in the unfolding of events?

Then a friend of yours, trying to be encouraging, says “it will get better! The disaster is actually a blessing! It’ll eventually turn out good…”

After shooting them and disposing of their body, you want to scream, “Why did this happen? It seemed like I made a good decision at the time!”

What you may not know is there was something influencing your decision that you couldn’t see.   (more…)

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Mirroring Others: A Quick Technique to Boost Connection

Increase Your Likeability & Influence with Others

Stop and think for a minute.
Are there people in your world
with whom you’d like to experience a better connection?
Maybe even have them see you in a more favorable light?

  • A friend or acquaintance with whom you’d like a stronger, deeper bond
  • Someone who hasn’t been responsive to your
    interactions with them
  • A strained relationship you want to improve

One highly effective method to increase your connection and influence with people around you is to use the misunderstood relational superpower called empathy. (For more on this effective approach, see the article entitled, Empathy: an “Attractive” Quality That Boosts Your Influence)

A second method, called the mirror technique, can also help you increase connection. By mirroring others, the technique taps into a quirk in our brain (called mirror neurons), discovered by neuroscientists.

What’s great about the mirror technique is that anyone can do it, and its effects are quickly seen.

Do you want to make more and better friends wherever you go? Then read on!

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How To Make A Difficult Decision: Surprising Research Can Help

You Can Avoid Making A Decision You'll Regret

How to make a difficult decisionHave you wrestled over how to make a difficult decision?

What makes that decision all the more difficult is when you remember previous decisions that blew up in your face.

You think, “God, I don’t want that to happen again.”

So, how do you choose wisely… and prevent an outcome you regret? (more…)

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Better Decision Making: 600% Better Results With This Trick

Research reveals a simple method to improve your decision making

Make better decisions with this simple processTrying to make better decisions today can be soooooo frustrating.

Even when you really, really want to make the best decision, and you take time to think it through, it often turns out less than you hoped.

What gives?

Here’s the problem — we typically make decisions based on a faulty process. No matter how deliberate you are, if the way you make decisions is screwed up… you will get screwed up decisions.

But, there is a simple approach you can use that will significantly increase the odds of a good outcome.

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