Emotional Intelligence, Brevity, Thriving in Chaos

"Substitute 'damn' every time you're inclined to write 'very;' your editor will delete it, and the writing will be just as it should be."
— Mark Twain

Good morning, evening, afternoon, whenever you find this confluence of words and confusion. Welcome to February 2022; I hope you are ready for a short month, but a powerful month; we have valentines day, maybe some other holidays I'm forgetting, but the end of winter is here, spring is coming.

We worked from home yesterday; we had two interviews in the morning, building a bench of quality talent all over the nation. The candidates were great; we will move on to our next step; the new energy at our company is exciting; we were getting a little stale, we are what we tolerate.

We took PVHT for our 2-mile hike around the neighborhood; it was our first hike back, we needed to acclimate, but it wasn't bad. The temperature was about 50 degrees, the sun was out, a beautiful day for a walk. We're dropping PVHT off to our friends; she will sit him while we toast our buns on a beach in Cabo. We are set to get some snow here; we might head downtown to our condo to not get stuck and miss our flight. We can dine at some of our old hangs; we need to walk through the condo to figure out what is necessary to get it ready to sell.

Occasionally I get articles and quips from friends; if they are good, I like to share; yesterday, my friend Barrett shared something I found valuable. So many people focus on IQ, but the older I get, the more I focus on a person's EQ. Did you ever meet someone so bright they were socially awkward? Since I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, I find comfort in the average intelligent folk but those with a solid emotional intelligence. I'm coming to an end to tolerating emotional basket cases.

The article was titled "How emotionally intelligent people use the Mark Twain Rule to become exceptionally persuasive. The writer, Bill Murphy Jr, seems like my kind of cat. Bill shares to be convincing, you need to understand three key things. First, you must articulate precisely what you want when engaging with another human. Second, consider how your tone and message might land on the other person, and finally, you must speak with extreme clarity. The key to getting what you want is brevity. This message is coming from a man that quips 1000 words every day. I'm like an official in power telling you to wear a mask, but I don't have to follow my advice when I go out.  

Bill uses Mark Twain's famous quote, "If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter." In addition, Bill shares the following "coming up with a good message takes time, but genuinely crafting it, editing it, to put it differently, to ensure it is aligned with your intended outcome takes time.

It's true for books, letters, and articles in magazines. When it comes to strategically communicating in an emotionally intelligent manner."  

An emotionally intelligent leader frames everything from the point of view of their team. What does this mean for everyone together? What does it mean for individual contributors? What is explicitly needed from each person to hit the goal? Take time and think of all the angles. Emotional intelligence is all about becoming aware of your emotions and other people's emotions and then leveraging them to help meet your ultimate goals.

Well, I will take Bill's advice and be brief; I hope you have a damn good day. I hope you are damn happy and damn satisfied with your life. We are working through a damn chaotic time, but between you and me, I thrive in chaos. Some find joy in disrupting others' soundly laid plans. A weak mind leads to a life of unhappiness, confusion, and missed opportunity. Sadly, some students fail while others step up and grab the treasure they were destined for the entire journey. Onward and upward, my friends, you won't believe what is coming next.

"Substitute 'damn' every time you're inclined to write 'very;' your editor will delete it, and the writing will be just as it should be."
— Mark Twain