What kind of Intelligence do you have?

Did you know there are several different types of intelligence? You may score higher in some intelligence tests depending on the types of intelligence being tested.

Verbal/linguistic
Logical/Mathematical
Musical/Rhythmic
Visual/Spatial
Kinesthetic/Physical
Intrapersonal
Interpersonal

The last two types of intelligence are components of Emotional Intelligence

Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence

You are excellent with words and language. You explain yourself well. An elegant speaker, you can converse well with anyone on the fly. You are also good at remembering information and convincing someone of your point of view. A master of creative phrasing and unique words, you enjoy expanding your vocabulary. You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator.

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

Learn more about intelligence from BBC

CEOs dumb when it comes to Emotional Intelligence

Emotional Intelligence (EQ) has often been touted as being more important than traditional intelligence (IQ). According to Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves our Emotional Intelligence scores determine much of our success in life. But, don't panic - Emotional Intelligence can be improved. If you scored poorly in any of the four quadrants you can learn to score better and ultimately achieve greater happiness.

At the bottom of the pile in the EQ stakes are CEOs who have the lowest Emotional Intelligence scores.

The relationship between Emotional Intelligence and job title is the most
dramatic. Middle managers stand out, with the highest Emotional Intelligence scores. But above middle management, there is a steep downward trend in Emotional Intelligence scores.
For the titles of director and above, scores descend faster than a skier on a black diamond. CEOs on average, have the lowest Emotional Intelligence scores.

In the gender battle, women scored slightly higher than men. This is hardly surprising given that EQ depdnds on the ability to listen to your internal emotional signals and learn to express them while taking into account the thoughts, feelings and beliefs of the people you are dealing with.

What is Emotional Intelligence (EQ)?

In a nutshell, EQ is your ability to recognise your own thoughts and feelings about a situation and act on them to bring about win-win situations in your dealings with others and in handling any obstacles or difficulties in your path.

The Emotional Intelligence Quick Book is based on the research of the authors with over 500,000 people and builds on the concepts first expounded by Daniel Goleman in his book Emotional Intelligence. Their website contains a database of the results of those interviews and tests and allows you to assess your own Emotional Intelligence and compare it with other people in your age group.

The four quadrants of EQ are:

• self awareness


• self-management


• social awareness


• relationship management

Why is EQ so important?

EQ helps us make better decision and deal with uncomfortable feelings. EQ helps us look at the long-term consequences of our actions and make decisions that improve the quality of our life.

Feeling sad? Want to down a litre of ice cream? This is where EQ would step in. Instead of drowning your feelings of sorrow in food or alcohol The EQ Quick Book recommends that you lean into your feelings of discomfort and learn from them. Instead of denying or avoiding uncomfortable feelings an Emotionally Intelligent individual asks what they can learn from the situation and how to make permament long-term changes.

According to the authors

People who fail to use their Emotional Intelligence skills are twice as likely to experience anxiety, depression, substance abuse and even thoughts of
suicide.

That's a pretty good incentive to make some changes to the way you deal with your emotions and your relationships.

How can you improve your own EQ?

• Learning to listen and observe body language is a great way to build social awareness
  Ask questions to clarify how the other person is feeling
• Listen to your gut feelings
• Consider the other person's point of view, their beliefs and feelings
• Instead of avoiding confrontation take the time to prepare your thoughts and gather all the material you need to support your point of view
• Act on your feelings in a calm manner rather than letting your temper get the better of you

How do you find out your own EQ score?

You can take the test at the website. Unfortunately the test is only free to people who purchase the book and use the unique code that comes with each book.

The Five Things I Do to Help Me Feel More Positive

Peggy tagged me to share 'five things people don't know about me'. I decided to focus on the things that I do on the days I feel depressed or anxious, or know that I want to do something totally self-destructive, like eating nine raspberry choc logs before breakfast.

#1 I dance

In my lounge, or on the dance floor my #1 mood enhancer is to dance. You might even spot me getting jiggy with it at the supermarket.

I started dancing as soon as I could walk. According to my mother I used to get excited about bagpipe music (really? Thank goodness I’ve changed!). These days I’ll dance to pretty much anything, and I’m taking lessons in ballroom and latin dancing.



#2 I watch my dogs play

I have the world’s most adorable dogs. No, seriously, they are just the cutest most fun dogs to watch. They romp around the yard chasing each other, playing tug of war with sticks (aka things they dug out of their mother’s garden grrrr) and generally being sweet. Honestly, there is nothing that lifts the mood like the joy of two dogs having fun.

#3 I walk

With my dogs of course! We go to a park or we walk around the streets. For me it’s a form of meditation that clears my mind and helps me focus. When I’m feeling sluggish it adds to my energy and if I’m feeling agitated it helps take the edge off and calm me down. Over the weekend I found a fabulous new park with a waterfall and stream. It was incredibly peaceful to look at the water running down the rock face.

#4 I journal

When things are bothering me I get it out of my head and onto paper. Sometimes I simply write down everything I can think about the subject but more often I use rational emotive therapy to record things in sections. This process helps me move through the different thoughts and feelings and helps me see things in a new light.

A – Activating Event
This is the first section. I write down what actually happened. Maybe someone said something that upset me, or I expected something to happen and was disappointed when it didn’t. I write down everything that actually happened in as much detail as possible. Sometimes that’s enough – I look at what happened and realise I am worried about nothing.

B – Beliefs
Next, I write my beliefs about what happened. Say I went into a store and the shop assistant was rude to me. My beliefs might go something along the lines of, “Hey! I’m the customer, you gotta treat me with respect.” Or “The customer is always right” or “You should be trying to keep me happy not dissing me because you didn’t like the way I was dressed.”

C – Consequences
What happened as a result? This is where I write how I felt about what happened, and what I did as a consequence. Using the above example I might say that I felt angry or that I felt as if the shop assistant put me down. Then I’d say what happened next. Perhaps I was so angry I started slamming doors, or decided not to buy something and then regretted it as it was something I needed.

By this stage I am usually feeling much calmer but if I haven’t worked out the kinks in my thinking then I move on to the next steps and debate and dispute my thinking, and try instead to find a healthier way of thinking.

#5 I find a friend

I ring a friend to come meet me for a hot chocolate or take a walk. If it’s the middle of the night or no one is around I might hunt down an online friend, or go to an online community, such as a forum or an online gaming room.

Check out my free forum on emotional eating, depression, stress management and more...

Sooooo now I get to tag five hapless victims to tell us, 'five things people don't know about me'

Come on down...
Alan at A View from the Waterfront
Flattie at The Cat House
Thomma Lyn at Tennessee Text Wrestling
Snoskred at Life in the Country
Rashenbo at Writing Aspirations

Emotional Intelligence Awareness Month

October 2006 is Emotional Intelligence Awareness Month.



Emotions have a great deal of influence on the quality of our thinking and thus, our behavior. When we improve our EQ, it enhances the most valuable assets we have as individuals—namely our emotional stability, security, overall intelligence, and physical health—as well as our ability to treat other people and other things in healthier, more meaningful ways.

The concept of emotional intelligence (EI or EQ) was publicly introduced in 1995 by author/ psychologist Daniel Goleman in his ground breaking book Emotional Intelligence, Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. By 2002, it became the most widely read social science book in the world, according to Howard Gardner, Harvard Professor of Psychology. EI describes the ability to understand and manage emotions in order to think and communicate in a more healthful manner.

Emotional Intelligence Awareness Month is a way to bring more attention to this extremely valuable personal development.

As Dr. Stanley Greenspan’s book The Growth of the Mind tells us, “Intelligence reflects the mind doing its most important work .… Our definition of intelligence should focus on the general process whereby individuals reason, reflect, and understand the world…. Emotions, not cognitive stimulation, serve as the mind’s primary architect.” Learn more by searching for emotional intelligence on the Internet and at your local library/book store. This EI campaign sponsored by the Emotional Intelligence Institute, a non profit organization dedicated to helping people improve their EQ.

Check the picture above for the hidden hearts*. The quantity and locations of hearts intentionally placed by the artist are at our web site http://www.e-ii.org/, along with helpful tools to enhance your EQ.

*Searching for the hidden hearts is similar to searching for ways our emotions inappropriately influence our thinking. Sometimes we have to look more carefully to see clearly.