🫣SOMEBODY LIED!

Nothin But A Number

Back in 1994, Aaliyah told everyone how she felt about age. (That it does not necessarily represent maturity.) But if we drop the concept of “Age” as a benchmark for maturity, how else are we going to measure it?

Well, people often confuse getting older with automatically becoming more mature. For example, our common experience has been that as we grow from childhood to adolescence to pre-teens and early adulthood, we automatically become more mature. Logic would suggest the trend continues into adulthood. This is true sometimes because the reality is Adulthood does not mandate growth or maturity. These qualities come from within. They stem from a person's willingness to learn the skills and habits that society associates with being "mature" at age X.

Occupational skills, such as being able to diagnose cancer or fly a plane, extremely useful, but they are not considered the ultimate sign of maturity. Maturity encompasses many more internal skills. Some of these skills include communicating effectively, understanding complex social structures, and learning how to learn.

The ultimate sign of maturity, I argue, is the ability to develop the five domains of emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence involves being self-aware, having self-management skills, being socially aware, and having the ability to manage relationships effectively. Emotional intelligence is a concept rarely discussed until someone is well into adulthood. This is unfortunate because understanding and developing emotional intelligence is essential for a fulfilling life.

Emotional intelligence is a topic that has been explored in depth in several books, including Daniel Goleman's "Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ", Annie McKee's "Becoming a Resonant Leader", and Peter Salovey's "The Emotionally Intelligent Manager". These books cover various topics, from organizational situations to home life, parenting, romantic relationships, sales performance improvement, and more. They all have one common goal, to help individuals understand and develop their emotional intelligence skills.

To get started on your journey of understanding emotional intelligence, it is recommended that you begin with Daniel Goleman's book, "Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ.” This New York Times bestseller is an excellent introduction to the idea of emotional intelligence and its importance in our lives and I found it the perfect primer to wrap my mind around the subject. From there, you can explore other books, such as "Becoming a Resonant Leader" and "The Emotionally Intelligent Manager", which delve deeper into the subject.

I also recommended that you ACTUALLY PRACTICE developing your emotional intelligence skillset because just reading a book about basketball doesn’t win championships. You have to practice EVERYDAY. I recommend keeping a daily Journal and incorporating meditation into your morning routine.

Conclusion

Maturity is not something that is automatically acquired with age. It is a quality that comes from within, stemming from a person's willingness to learn and develop the skills and habits that society associates with being mature. Emotional intelligence is a critical component of personal development and is essential for leading a fulfilling life.

Want to test your EQ skills? Click Below

•  Talent Smart online EQ QUIZ

•  Harvard Business Review online EQ Quiz

  Daniel Goldman’s EQ Workbook

With Gratitude,

Hendy Saint-Jacques & ChatGPT-3

Creator & Chief Joy Spreader

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