Making Adjustments

"To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart."

Eleanor Roosevelt

My grandson's kindergarten is very focused on emotional intelligence and relationship connections - which I love so much! They inspire me! But it is possible to become so attached to an emotional experience that we fail to address questions related to what is working well and connecting with people around what they feel confident about. I appreciate how they told the parents to watch out for back-to-school meltdowns BUT it was also helpful when they reminded the parents what the kids needed to bring in their backpacks!

It's all a great balancing act!

Could this be you? Are you in balance with your head, heart and body? Anything need an adjustment?

The Importance of Emotional Intelligence…

"A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go but ought to be."

Rosalynn Carter

Bless Rosalynn Carter's little heart. I bet she understands how difficult this is to practice in real life.

For influencers who are often confident of the best, most perfect way to achieve a goal, their focus on quality and rules and structure can make it difficult for them to exert influence - even when they are correct! These influencers need to also engage with people's emotions, learn how to find empathy, passion and make personal connections. It doesn't much matter how right we are if no one will listen to us.

Could this be you? How could you improve your emotional intelligence so that you can be more influential?

Go For It!

"It's gonna be hot down there, drink plenty of fluids!" The two courts that we practically had to give blood to pay to use are covered and they are...toasty.

"Oh, we will!" We assure the helpful team of women who have assembled to give us the once over and make sure we are not going to cause any harm to the facility.

My new friend is not quite ready to let us go.

"You play pickleball?" She asks, hands on hips.

"We do, in fact, my husband made a pickle ball court in our driveway!" I reply.

"Yeah? Well, you know, they invited me to play pickleball with them here, and I try to be a good sport, so I came over and played in one of their shindigs...but they told me I was too AGGRESSIVE and they never invited me back."

"Wow!" I am well and truly impressed. We're not talking a spring chicken here - this grand lady is in her 80's at least! And look at her agreeing to take up a new sport with so much energy that she does not get invited back!

I am plenty inspired by this bright yellow phenom standing here holding court and waving her tennis racket around to illustrate her perspective. She is strong and confident and clearly large and in-charge of her life. This is a woman who looks like she takes responsibility for herself and expects others to do likewise.

Life can really wear us down, can't it? Thanks to a long line and a lot of red tape, I had the privilege of seeing the possibility for my own future in the presence of an older, wiser woman. Mary Oliver, beloved poet to many, asks THE question, "What do you want to do with your one wild and precious life?" Go for it!