“Bring your best self to the table and purposely have the time of your life for the rest of your life.”
— JSP
I admire people who consistently get things done, and with a level of passion coupled with excellence, the quality of their work regularly confronts the status quo. It takes a level of Emotional Intelligence to bring our best to the table and purposely have the time of our life doing it.
Ask yourself, when was the last time you brought your best self to the table? You’ll find that you were so in command of what you were doing, and the apparent ease with which you accomplished your objectives empowered those you worked with.
What would it look like to live at that level all the time? That’s what life would look like bringing your best self to the table all the time and having the time of your life. I’m not saying that we can obtain a level of life that’ll enable us to live on cruise control 24/7, for that doesn’t exist.
Highly successful, emotionally intelligent people exercise enough self-confidence and self-control can be so motivated by challenges and setbacks that their inner drive can roll with the punches until victory is achieved.
Emotional Intelligence Required
Director of Influenceo Global Inc. Shadé Zahrai says, "Perhaps a better way of phrasing emotional intelligence is the intelligent use of emotions". This skill supports our capacity to work effectively with others, to make better decisions and to purposefully advance toward our goals.
Almost a decade ago, the Harvard Business Review concluded in this article that "In hard times, the soft stuff often goes away. But emotional intelligence, it turns out, isn't so soft.” And still today, a large body of research indicates that emotional intelligence is a critical leadership skill that yields significant bottom-line results.” (1)
Bringing my best self to the table and purposely having the time of my life for the rest of my life, is a love-driven mindset that generates a deep peace of mind and absolute confidence in my gifts and talents to solve problems and reach my intended outcomes.
Living Authentically
Content marketing manager Elizabeth Perry aptly states, “Being your best self means living authentically. To be your best self, you must stay true to yourself and your values. You also need to make sure you’re doing what brings you a sense of happiness, purpose, and meaning. Being your best self isn’t dependent on life being smooth or perfect - it’s about what you can control.”
It takes emotional intelligence to develop an abundance mindset that enables us to control where our life is going. Regardless of the challenges, great and small, we can maintain balance and consistency in the face of all that confront us in any given season.
Knowing who you are reveals your purpose, which dictates your objectives. Having sound systems to keep you on track is vital to fulfilling that purpose. Effective systems are liberating because they establish consistency, which we know is the forerunner to momentum.
Having a program for an honest self-assessment is priceless since it increases our self-awareness. Taking assessments as a team increases accountability, strengthens commitments, creates momentum, and builds confidence.
In Closing, Bringing your best self to the table and having the time of your life for the rest of your life is rooted in authenticity, first with yourself and then with everyone around you.
In William Shakespeare’s’ Hamlet, Polonius says, “This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.”
End Notes
(1) Seven Traits Of An Emotionally Intelligent Leader - Shadé Zahrai https://rb.gy/5zpt2
*** This article was authored by John Picarello, Chief Leadership Officer at Lions Pride Leadership Co. ***