Emotional intelligence is….wisdom…common sense….intuition.. You’ve already experienced the voice of wisdom when you consider others’ feelings, have greater patience with others, give kindness, are sensitive to the other person, pick your battles in a heated interaction, stop blaming others for how you feel, forgive others. When you listen and follow your voice of wisdom….you bring out the best of you…while bringing out the best in others.

I had an interesting dream just before waking up today. It seemed to beg for reflection and sure enough I saw something a little deeper, about listening in a way that connects people, than ever before. I had to write about my discovery.

Receptive communication sounds like an oxymoron, yet the two words are actually synonymous in the world of relationship coaching. As a practicing marriage and family therapist since 1985, I have listened to hundreds...okay, 1985; I guess - thousands, of couples tell me that their problem is communication. 

Very happy people all have one thing in common, though most of them don’t even know what it is. The truth about supremely happy people is that they spend more time living in positive, upbeat thinking than the rest of the population. They don’t do it on purpose; it’s natural to them.