Emotional Intelligence Is a Superpower —June 22

SAGe (Self-Actualized Genius)—Learn More

June 22, 2025

Sunday SAGe Volume 40: Emotional Intelligence Is a Superpower

Here is this week’s installment of Sunday SAGe, an email communication that shares wellness inspiration from The Wellness Ethic to help people thrive during the coming week (and beyond!).

This week, our focus is on emotional intelligence, which is one of the most influential factors in a person’s happiness and success.

Emotional Intelligence Is a Superpower

An excerpt from The Wellness Ethic:

After I read Daniel Goleman’s book “Emotional Intelligence”, I knew it was going to be a game changer for my relationships and overall happiness. Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to recognize and regulate one’s emotions, as well as the ability to engage effectively with the feelings of others. To make EI accessible and actionable, I’ll focus on four elements: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management, which are derived from Goleman’s work.

Emotional intelligence begins with self-awareness of positive and negative emotions. When you are emotionally intelligent, you’re in touch with your feelings and understand how they affect your thoughts and behavior. You savor positive emotions like joy, compassion, hope, gratitude, love, and serenity. You’re also aware of mood shifts and their triggers, recognizing that negative emotions such as anger, anxiety, jealousy, and frustration undermine your happiness and ability to relate to others.

Self-awareness then leads to self-management of your feelings to maintain emotional well-being. When you are in a positive emotional state, you are happier, of course, but you also improve your ability to foster healthy relationships, defuse difficult situations, and make better decisions.

Once you’re in a productive emotional state, if you’re relating with others, you can then focus on the next step: social awareness. What are the emotional states of the people you’re dealing with? Are they positive? If not, what negative emotions are present, what’s driving them, and how are they impacting your relationship? When you are socially aware, you empathize with others. You seek to understand their feelings, needs, and perspectives without passing judgment. You pay attention to verbal and nonverbal cues. You are also in tune with group dynamics and social norms and how they influence a person’s emotions and behaviors.

After factoring in social awareness, you are then ready for relationship management, which is the process of relating with others to achieve a positive outcome. Considering the emotions of the involved parties is critical in this step. Someone who is emotionally hurt or angry probably won’t relate effectively until those emotions are mitigated.

What It Means

Emotional intelligence starts with being aware of your emotional state and effectively steering your emotions to a positive state if you’re struggling emotionally.

If your emotional state isn’t where it needs to be, what can you do to get it there? You could apply a Stoic mindset and detach from negative forces. Or summon your SAGe and work through accepting and framing what has happened to get underneath what’s driving your emotions and how best to regulate them. You could also talk with a friend to help sort out how you feel, or calm your mind through deep breathing, meditation, and exercising.

A person with high emotional intelligence genuinely cares about others. They communicate openly and respectfully. They manage their own emotions and promote productive emotions within others. They admit when they are at fault, build trust, and resolve conflicts. A person with high EI nurtures healthy relationships and finds pathways to win-win outcomes.

When the emotional charge in a relationship is positive, both parties are positioned to bring their best to their interactions. Better results are achieved, and the experience is more enjoyable. Emotional intelligence is a superpower.

Your Call to Action

Do you have any opportunities with your emotional self-awareness, emotional self-regulation, being in tune with the emotions of others, or managing the emotional charge in your relationships? If so, determine how you want to move forward. If you need help, here are three suggestions:

• Buy a copy of Daniel Goleman’s book Emotional Intelligence and do a deeper dive on the topic. It’s a terrific book that will open your mind to the power of emotional intelligence.

• Buy a copy of The Wellness Ethic (yes, a shameless plug for my book!) and apply the learnings from the “Adopt Change in Your Life” and “Choose Your Response to Life” sections. The entire book, and especially those sections, were designed to help you adopt meaningful change in your life so you thrive.

• View back issues of Sunday SAGe on the WellnessEthic.com website. There are plenty of tips to help you bring meaningful change into your life.

Have a happy week!