THE FOUR KEYS TO EMOTIONAL GENIUS

1. Welcome all of your emotions equally

All of your emotions are messengers that tell you how you're feeling and what's going
on. Each of your emotions has important messages for you, and each brings you the
skills, awareness, and energy you need in every situation.

Although the way you work with your emotions can have positive or negative
outcomes, the emotions themselves are not good or bad. All of your emotions bring
you specific intelligence and information, and all of them can help you understand
what's happening inside you and in your world. All of your emotions are necessary.

2. Understand emotional intensities

Every emotion arises at many different levels of intensity. Some emotions can arise in
such a soft state that you and others might not even notice them. Emotions can also
arise in medium state, where you become aware of their presence. In some situations,
emotions can arise in an intense state, where they are very obvious to you and the
people around you.

Emotions arise at various levels of intensity, and you can learn how to identify and
work with all of them.

3. Identify multiple emotions

It's normal to feel more than one emotion (think of crying with happiness or laughing
when you're angry), though aren't many English words to describe feeling multiple
emotions at once. However, emotions can and do work in pairs and groups.

When you know why emotions arise, you'll be able to identify them and figure
out the best way to work with each of them.

4. Learn how to channel your emotions

Instead of only expressing or repressing your emotions, you can learn to channel
them: listen to them, understand them, and work with them intentionally. When you
know why emotions arise and how to work with them, you'll have more options and
more skills.

Expression and repression can be useful in some circumstances, but you can also
learn how to work with your emotions and channel them skillfully. When you know
how to work with your emotions, you'll have access to more and better choices,
better self-awareness, better understanding of others, and more skills. You have
many healthy options with every emotion you feel.
The Dynamic Emotional Integration – Karla McLaren, M.Ed.