EQ

Keep compassionate. Keep compatible. Keep comradery.

I’m not talking about someone distant from you dying (that would be “the death of AN acquaintance”). I’m talking about letting go of acquaintances that no longer serve your needs (for whatever reason), or those acquaintances that require more than their share of maintenance.

“Tilt the playing field.” That’s what my first boss, Larry, told me when I asked why some businesses and leaders are more successful than others. Larry explained how great companies changed the competitive landscape by stretching what people thought was possible.

Coarse. Mean. Angry. For so many of us, it defines how U.S. society feels right now. Emotions are contagious and even more so on an island. And, let’s face it, the United States is a big island full of emotions, all in the ricochet mode. How do we change this” island fever?”

When I was at Stanford Business School, unfortunately, I could not get off the waitlist for the most popular class, affectionately known as “Touchy-Feely.” Chronicled in this article, this class (formally known as “Interpersonal Dynamics”) created foundational skills in effective communication, leadership, teamwork, emotional intelligence, and creativity.

Yesterday, on my way out to a 10+ mile walk around Lady Bird Lake, I shared the 25-floor elevator ride down with a neighbor I’d never seen before who I think lives in one of the penthouses. I was wearing a mask and a Golden Gate Bridge t-shirt. He donned no mask and a bit of a scowl.

I’ll never forget the disappointment I felt one Christmas when I didn’t get the gift at the top of my Santa list. Disappointment feels like slowly falling down a cliff—not fast enough to scare you, but precariously enough, so you know you don’t have your footing. And, when you’re a kid, that fall can feel like it will last an eternity.

A tale of Spenditude and making decisions in a relationship. Money attitudes are called your Spenditude. When these hard-wired attitudes collide in a relationship there is a mis-matched Spenditude. It happens in far too many partnerships.

I live on a “calle sin nombre” (a street with no name) in a town with no cul de sacs. But, our rural, beachfront ‘hood and MEA program welcomes mid-lifers who are often stuck in a “career cul de sac.” It’s joyous when our “compadres” (students) get to mix with our vecinos (neighbors).

Smart people know how to use their brains. Wise people also know how to use their brains, but they aren’t trapped between their ears. Wise people know how to integrate their brain and body with their gut, heart, and soul. Fortunately, the last three escape solitary confinement starting in midlife.