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The Mini Action

Guide to
Emotional
Intelligence

6 proven ways emotional


intelligence will improve
your health, bank balance
and relationships TODAY

By David Hawkins
Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 2

What you will learn in this book...

Contents
Chapter1. Influence Your Mind: The Foundations of Emotional Intelligence..................................... 8
Chapter3. Me & Myself: How to Handle Your Emotions When You’re Under Stress ...................... 17
Chapter4. Tricks of the Trade: Simple Tricks That Will Give You E.I Now ..................................... 26
Chapter7. Gimme, Now: Powerful Ideas to Leverage Your E.I......................................................... 29
Chapter10. Do you feel successful? The Secret to High Performance .............................................. 32
Chapter17. The ‘Ignition’ System – My Philosophy ......................................................................... 42

**THIS EBOOK IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY


EMOTIONALI.COM
--- To sign up for more information visit
www.emotionali.com

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 3

“A wise woman who was travelling in the mountains found a precious stone
in a stream. The next day she met another traveller who was hungry, and the
wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveller saw the
precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without
hesitation. The traveller left, rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the
stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime.

But, a few days later, he came back to return the stone to the wise woman.

‘I've been thinking,’ he said. ‘I know how valuable this stone is, but I give it
back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give
me what you have within you that enabled you to give me this stone.’

Sometimes it's not the wealth you have, but what's inside you that others
need.”

Anonymous

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 4

 Foreword

Becoming emotionally intelligent is the most organic and healthy way to maintain a
healthy mind. It saves you time and money and ensures successful relationships. But
enough of that...

Books on emotional intelligence are gaining in popularity but they all share one trait:
They’re interesting but not actionable! I have written this action guide to set things
straight, and so I have leaned heavily on making each step of the way as actionable
for you as possible.

In this mini eBook I’m going to give you 6


chapters from my popular eBook, The Action
Guide to Emotional Intelligence. With this snippet
you’ll be able to bring emotional intelligence into
your life today.

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I have


enjoyed writing it.

Best regards,
David Hawkins – www.emotionali.com

The Basics:
 EQ – Emotional Quotient (Emotional Intelligence)
 IQ – Intelligence Quotient (Mental Intelligence)
 E.I – Emotional Intelligence

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 5

Welcome

“To get the most out of this eBook I suggest you print
it off and find a comfortable place to sit where you won’t
be interrupted -- even better, find a highlighter to use.”

With the information overload on the internet now, I want to thank you for taking the
time to download this eBook. And with that, I’d rather not waste your time.

“In developed countries today, people rarely find life physically

hard, they find life mentally hard -- it needn’t be so hard”

I’m going to jump straight into it without introducing myself as I’ve weaved my own
story throughout this book. In this day and age of the internet, time is a limited
resource. People are most concerned with whether you can deliver the results NOW,
and not whether you have the pre-requisite credentials of a Harvard degree and royal
blood -- because I don’t have that.

What I do have is a guarantee you’ll get something out of this book that will change
the way you live your life in more than at least one positive way. On the strength of
that statement I’ve set up a comments page for discussion on this eBook. Maybe there
is something you don’t agree with, or a point you need clarifying -- you can write the
details there.

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 6

On the subject of criticism – I almost relish in it, how else do we improve on what
we have? Just one request though, please make it constructive criticism. We don't
want problems, we want solutions!

So what is E.I?
To start off, we’ll briefly dive into the recent history books to find when the term first
came about. The term ‘emotional intelligence’ was coined in 1990 by two men,
Salovey and Mayer. They described emotional intelligence as the following:

“A form of social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor


one’s own and others’ feelings and emotions, to discriminate
between them and to use this information to guide one’s thinking
and action.”

-- This basically means an ability to handle your feelings.

I suspect you hadn’t heard of Salovey and Mayer before now. The reason being, they
were upstaged by the psychologist/author Daniel Goleman. His book, Emotional
Intelligence, was released in 1995 and went on to become a bestseller. If you haven’t
read his book and this is an area of interest to you, it’s a must read.

Even though the term was coined very recently, the idea of E.I has been percolating
through cultures for eons. Whether it was through philosophers or religions,
particularly Buddhism, E.I is not a new idea. It just took some bright minds to tag it
with a name.

The system I use (which you’ll see in the last chapter) is not a traditional ‘how to’
method, nor does it have a time frame. This system was developed to be internalized

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 7

over time. (You’ll see ways of doing this throughout the book).

While many of the strategies in this eBook can be put into action with immediate
results, to get the most from this eBook you should begin to make some of the
principals explored simply part of whom you are.

“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm”

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Throughout the book you’ll see exercises you can do to identify and develop your E.I
and to radically improve the output of your life. Of course, the exercises are optional
but I urge you to try them all. Some exercises may force you out of your comfort
zone BUT they only serve to expand you emotional capacity.

It leaves me to say, I hope you enjoy this taster eBook for emotional intelligence!

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 8

Chapter1. Influence Your Mind: The Foundations


of Emotional Intelligence

Simply put, there are two ways the human mind learns, and this also forms the
foundation for how I believe E.I can be taught effectively.

1) The Logos/Pathos Law

• Logos (Define – A style in pure logic and reason.)


• I will refer to logos now as ‘repetition’ because this is the sense I use it in.

The method of teaching through repetition-


− An easy, logical method.
− Ineffective (unless there are high levels of commitment.)
− The method we have most conscious control over – however, we still need to
develop habits over time. This is why it's ineffective and time consuming.
− Influences 10% of your mind. (This will make more sense when you have read
the next chapter)

• Pathos (Define - A style that has the power to evoke feelings)


• The English language has over 5000 words for emotion – I’ll stick with
pathos here because it represents emotion in general.
The method of teaching through pathos -
− An unexpected experience. I.e. the death of a loved one, a shock.
− An experience that you can relate to personally. I.e. your Favourite movie,

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 9

news of a school shooting that taps into the core of human emotions -- it
doesn’t matter how far away from your home it happens.
− An unfamiliar experience to your brain. I.e. this can be as (consciously) subtle
as an experience you simply haven't had before. Do you have one of these? “I
remember the first time I 'fill in the blank'.”
− Influences 90% of your brain. (This will make more sense when you have read
the next chapter)

Note: This form of learning is difficult to fabricate.


But all good teachers know that this is when students learn AND
REMEMBER. Anthony Robbins, the motivational speaker, uses a
very effective technique of shocking people out of their thought
patterns. This approach is used to cure people of their phobias --
such as of spiders and snakes.

E.I brings balance to faster learning

LOGOS PATHOS LOGOS PATHOS

Potential Influence Emotional Intelligence


(unbalanced) (balanced)

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 10

Repetition is the method of learning we use in schools. Would you say schools are
super effective in teaching? I think not. It is most effective for students who WANT to
learn but is grossly inadequate, I believe, for all other students.

This approach to teaching has become archaic in my opinion. But the problem we
have is that the Pathos system which I present may not work in a classroom of 30.
Much better is 1 on 1with teacher and student but it clearly isn’t an option these days.
(Incidentally, I still think if this approach was refined, it would be more effective than
repetition. And school wouldn't be so boring...)

Thankfully, the system we use at Emotionali is based on 1 on 1, so that 'can of


worms' is avoided.

Now you know how habits are formed I want to take you through a simple idea into
the underlying workings of the mind. Here, you’ll find out why pathos is a much
better system than repetition from the brains perspective.

2) The 90/10 Law

Throughout the rest of this book you’ll come across the term ‘90/10’ in various
contexts quite a lot. I’ll outline what it means here.

90%
10%

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 11

“One is the pushing, slam-bang, act first and think-afterwards


mode, to which events may yield as they give way to any strong
force.[90%] The other mode is wary, observant, sensitive to slight
hints and intimations; perhaps intriguing, timid in public and
ruthless in concealed action...[10%]”

-- Experience and Nature, John Dewey, philosopher

At any one time your conscious mind is processing 7 independent tasks. These tasks
will be what you are experiencing at any particular time, whether it be playing chess,
riding a bike, or flying a kite. However, your performance in all of these activities
would be embarrassingly bad was it not for your unconscious mind...

This brings us to the big guns. Your unconscious mind is processing an astonishing
20,000 independent tasks every second, of every day – see it’s not only women who
can multitask (!).

For the sake of easy understanding, these numbers can be translated into the ratio –

90 (20,000) and 10 (7)

Note: The exact percentage values don’t withstand


scrutiny of course, but then again, this is the human brain we’re
talking about – the most complex piece of matter in our universe.

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 12

- But there’s a catch


We only have conscious control over 10% of our brains. 90% is locked away out of
our immediate reach. However, through becoming emotionally intelligent we can
use our 10% to condition that 90%, and develop more control over our minds and
our bodies -- and that’s what I’m here to explain.
I will show you how you can use your 10% to leverage the power of your 90%

So why is this important to know? Because with this understanding you can condition
yourself to be much more efficient in every part of your life. What’s more, once you
have developed the habits, you don’t even need to think about performing well. Did
you ever notice how efficient people are always efficient? That’s because much of
what we do is the result of programmed habits.
Does this make sense so far?

Now numbers alone, in this context, have no meaning for the lay person. So I have
translated the numbers into meaningful words that represent the 90/10 ratio.

- 90% explained - So what is the 90% really all about?

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 13

90% (unconscious, potential, emotional mind, E.Q, right brain, autopilot).


The Five Factors of the 90%:
1. Habits – The culmination of life experience.
2. Instincts – to ensure the success of a race.
3. Impulses – Emotional urges for action, most often sparked by the environment.
4. Hormones – These are more influential in women than in men. It's why women
become infuriated with men who are 'too laid back' – myself included.
5. Memes – Memes represent the spread of ideas, symbols or practices, which are
influenced upon people from other people through mediums that can be copied
-- such as writing, speech, gestures and rituals.

“These all affect your emotions which then affect your decision making”

So how exactly do we tap into this powerful resource?

We leverage the unconscious mind by utilising the factors that represent the
unconscious mind. Namely, the one that is within reach, habits. Fortunately, habits
just so happen to be the defining characteristic that determines what we do in this
world, so if you gain control of these, you become the master of your destiny.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but
a habit.”

- Aristotle

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 14

You have already made the right decision by starting in the best possible place – this
book. But if you don’t understand a lot of the science, don’t worry, you don’t need to
understand it. The science just explains the background of how I work.
- 10% explained - So how does the 10% work, and what are the results of it?

10% (conscious, window of influence, logical mind, I.Q, left brain)


• The incredible power we yield over ourselves to condition the 90% and that
also separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom. We program ourselves
through what we experience -- all this information forms in the 90% so we can
effectively survive in our environment. This is why we become more
comfortable and familiar overtime in one place and why it’s difficult
emotionally to (re)settle in an entirely different culture/country.
• Underused potential

What you are thinking about now (the reading of this book) represents one of your 7
conscious processes. Your attention may waver and, for example, you’ll recall that
phone call you were meant to make, or remember that you need to get some milk;
these examples make up your 7 conscious processes.

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 15

This is an appropriate time to detail the subconscious. I don’t really explore this
feature of our mind as it’s not very important for E.I but to cover it briefly I’ll use the
examples above once more.

Remember that phone call you were meant to make and the milk you needed to buy?
Where does that information to your mind come from, where is the ‘message’ before
the moment you become aware of it? Your subconscious.

“Much like a submarine lies in wait before it surfaces for


refuelling; the subconscious lies in wait before it is called upon.”

To take this analogy further, your unconscious would be the dark depths of the ocean
where there’s no visibility (no awareness). Further, emotional intelligence would be
the radar – the method we use to make sense of what we can’t see.

ACTION STEPS...
Think about when you have learnt, and most importantly remembered. Was it
through repetition or pathos? How long did it take to learn?

Think about the actions you take that you don’t consciously think about. Does it
bother you sometimes the way you’ll do something WITHOUT thinking?

Are you good at multi tasking? Did you know that when we multi task we are
actually using different areas of our brain. We’re not actually multi tasking by our
general definition.

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 16

Can you grasp the idea of 90/10, and can you see how we can influence our 90% over
time?

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 17

Chapter3. Me & Myself: How to Handle Your


Emotions When You’re Under Stress

E.I is clearly needed most when we are losing control of our emotions -- when we are
upset, angry, confused or have any other strong feelings. This is when it's most
important. Questioning our instincts for action is a feature that separates us from the
rest of the animal kingdom, but unfortunately, when the atmosphere heats up, many
people lose that god given humanity and just become plain animals.

The most vivid demonstration in how our emotions can change was played out in
Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. “Man is not truly one, but truly
two,” he said, and it demonstrates that we humans DO change fundamentally in the
heat of passion.

Science has proven that our judgements change profoundly between being in a
relaxed state and feeling highly emotional. In normal circumstances the brain’s area
of reason (frontal lobes of the brain) performs perfectly fine, but when we feel
distressed our emotions (limbic centre of the brain) take control. Anyone can be
‘pushed to the limits’, but it’s up to you to decide what those limits are, and how you
deal with them. It is my interest to help you stay in control.

Let’s say, for example, most people have a fair level of E.I when they are relaxed and
comfortable. This is how society runs smoothly, when people are 'in control'. This is
the 90/10 ratio. People have a natural level of control to moderate their feelings.

I'm sure that every day you have a thought or two that, if shared, wouldn't be in the
best interests of social harmony. Anything come to mind?

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 18

 “I think you’re an idiot”


 “How dare you say that”
Even relatively harmless thoughts like:
 “What did he mean by that?”
 “Does she like me?”

-- Have you seen What Women Want with Mel


Gibson? If not, I urge you to watch it. It paints a
good picture of how society would be if we
couldn't contain our thoughts, seen through the
eyes of one man

Now imagine if everyone in society was angry, upset and confused all the time.
(Ironically this probably isn't too far from modern day life but stay with me on this.)
Instead of being 90/10 it would be, let’s say 95/5. The balance is tipped and we begin
to say things we shouldn't, we begin to make mistakes inadvertently. Oftentimes, the
mistakes you make have been made time and again in the past. These are habits, or

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 19

more specifically the phenomenon of imprinting.

Imprinting is a term that was coined by the naturalist, Konrad Lorenz. Before the
term had come about, Lorenz conducted an experiment using goslings. He knew that
newborn goslings became attached to the first living creature that saw. Invariably this
is Mother Goose, but on one occasion Lorenz placed himself on the frontline, and of
course, he then had several ardent followers in pursuit of him with an imprint of his
face on their eyelids. 1

In 90/10 mode you're consciously aware of the reality -- how nature intended it. You
'catch' yourself before you make a silly mistake. In a word, you're proactive. But
when you're in 95/5 mode (angry, confused, distressed...) your consciousness has lost
its natural leverage, and those silly habits come flooding back with a vengeance.
You're now in 'autopilot' mode, fighting for control in a plane that’s heading for a
crash landing. The more you try, the more you fail. There's only one thing that will
pull it back up. James Bond - no. E.I - yes.
 “Why did I do that?”
 “Sorry, I'm not with it today”

“It's one thing learning to steer a manual boat

on a lake, but quite another on rough seas.”

So this is where E.I can be very powerful. Most of us have at least one point during
the day when we are hyped up and stressed about something. If you could just
'observe' yourself, as if from the third person, during these times, and question how
you’re feeling, imagine the difference in outcome of every stressful decision you
make – especially in terms of health, relationships and money.

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 20

Take this idea. Have you ever noticed that it's easier to remedy others' problems as
opposed to your own? The reason for this is that when dealing with your problems
you’ve got a spaghetti junction of emotions to cope with. When observing someone
else’s problem from 'outside the fish bowl' you’re basing your judgement on logic
and empathy which isn’t as overwhelming. This is why it helps to talk to a friend. So
when you know how to control your emotions and see yourself from the third person
you are essentially dealing with 'someone else’s' problem. This is a long winded way
of saying 'empathy' but it serves to break down quite an advanced aspect of social
intelligence, empathy, into small steps.

Does this make sense?

All of us experience upset, anger and confusion, but it’s our ability to scrape, heave
and struggle out of these negative mindsets.

The following example is a very objective way of understanding the mind but it
serves as the general idea:

90/10 – Healthy.
 This is the frame of mind successful people STAY in MOST OF THE TIME. If
they fall, they jump back up to 90/10.
 Optimism
 With E.I people can maintain this state
 We have the power to question our instincts, habits and hormones
91/9 – Quite normal

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 21

92/8 – Just woke up


93/ 7 – “That wasn't there before”
94/6 – “Get it together”
95/5 – “Not another mistake...”
 People with depression.
 People who are lazy.
 People who are bored.
 People who are afraid.
 Even people with a HIGH I.Q.
 We can use neutral state to gain composure back (neutral state is explained
later).
 We have less control over our bodies and act more on instinct, habit and
hormones.

This abstract idea serves to illustrate the importance of controlling your emotions.
You'll find that successful people handle the environment when the going gets tough.
This is innately within all of us, it can be conditioned. What's important here is that
we ALL reside in each of these moods sometimes -- it’s only human. What sets you
apart is which one you CHOOSE to reside in most of the time.
- Laziness
These are people who generally exemplify an air of “whatever”. They may even tell
you “it’s not their problem” on several occasions. These people will be losing control,
aware they are losing control, but be completely careless about it. After all, it’s not
their problem is it?

- Boredom
Story: I’m going in

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 22

When I was younger I worked in a food store known as Sainsbury’s. I was


hired to put stock out on the shelves. Now, I knew it wasn’t going to rock my
socks off so I reassured myself it would only be temporary. The first few weeks
weren’t so bad; I had company doing the same work as me, so we dispelled the
pain of boredom by talking. That was, until a manager with a confident
‘hollow’ air of authority came and infringed his no conversation rule upon us –
he separated us.
When ignoring customers had worn thin, I decided to head in the only direction
I could go – inside. I dove into my mind and thought wonderful thoughts.
Personally I had a whale of a time, I would ponder a thought or two, and
memorise it for later development. Unfortunately, the manager didn’t share my
introspective enthusiasm, and would ask me how far I’d got with the work. I’m
not sure how long he’d have to wait before he got a response out of me, but
I’m sure he would always jot it down in his journal for VIP’s.

Oftentimes, if you’re not performing well, it could mean it’s just not
challenging enough for you. Take a step back and think, “Could I approach this
from another angle?” If you’re in a job, and you’re not in a position to get a
new one, ask your manger for something more challenging. That initiative
reaps you many benefits, even if it’s just a good reference.

• E.I Skills needed:

- Self Awareness
- Personal Decision-making
- Self Disclosure
- Communications

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 23

- Insight
- Assertiveness

- Fear
Story: All is not what it seems

• Now imagine buying new furniture for your house. You place it inside, re-
arrange it until you're happy and then go about your daily life. Later that
evening you're eating your dinner at your new table, pleasantly surprised at
how comfy the new chairs are. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, an earthquake.
It lasts only a moment but has shot the fear of God into you. You hear someone
screaming outside. Spinning around in a daze you dive under your new table.
Earthquake drills from your childhood make it instinctive. Your new table will
protect you if anything. You feel for the remote on the table to switch on the
TV. Maybe there's some coverage? Dead. The earthquake must have killed the
electricity.
• Want to know the tragic truth? It wasn’t an earthquake; it was your neighbour's
son with his new subwoofer. The screaming was the father telling him to turn it
down and the TV was accessible all along; all you had to do was plug it in.

• E.I Skills needed:

- Self Awareness
- Personal Decision-making
- Handling Stress
- Managing Feelings
- Assertiveness

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 24

- Fear makes us cling to our familiar ideas -

Fear makes us cling to our familiar ideas, all the while blocking out new experiences
and having the environment inside our minds simmer.

It's new experience that re-affirms reality, and over time our minds have a nasty way
of changing reality into a distorted picture of reality. If new insights into life are
stonewalled we create our own deluded story, one that suits the décor inside.

Fearful people live in the shell of experience they are familiar with, or they think they
know. Instead of taking in new information from the world around them they prefer
to close the small window of opportunity (the 10%) and stay inside. It's unhealthy to
sit in your own junk.

E.I begs you to question reality. You wouldn’t believe the influence it has over how
you perceive the world.

Lacking the ability to question reality in this extreme example created havoc. Our
character isolated herself. Her neighbours were there all along, the TV was there all
along. She disconnected herself and she became a puppet to the world around here.
We only make ourselves alone. We create our own suffering.

“To become a spectator of one's own life is to escape the


suffering of life.”

-- Oscar Wilde

We hate change but it's going to happen. Better to moderate it through giving it a

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 25

place in your mind, rather than letting it gradually make the most of you.

ACTION STEPS...
Have you ever made the distinction between your character when relaxed, and your
character when stressed?

Do you see how observing yourself in the third person can help you handle emotions
under stress?

Think about thoughts you’ve had about people that weren’t in the best interests of
social harmony. What if those thoughts escaped? To truly have a healthy mind you
shouldn’t have negative thoughts of others – thinking negatively about anything
makes it your problem.

If you haven’t seen What Women Want, make it the next movie you watch!

Try to identify when you’re in 90/10 mode, and when you’re in 95/5 mode. You’ll
know when you feel bored, tired or stressed, and feel yourself starting to lose control.

Can you see how fear makes us cling to familiar ideas?

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 26

Chapter4. Tricks of the Trade: Simple Tricks That


Will Give You E.I Now
I’m going to explain two concepts that are invaluable to E.I. Through understanding
these you will not only increase your productivity but develop a greater sense of
wellbeing.

- Parkinson’s Law:

“Parkinson’s law states that a job expands to

fill the time available to accomplish the task”

If you have two weeks to finish a 2000 word report, (providing all the information is
in your head) what is the argument that having two days to finish the report will
produce an inferior result?

There is no rational answer to having an extended period of time to finish the report.
But crucially, having two weeks to finish it is less stressful, and this is the first
message to zap our minds – on a basic level, its fear. And that’s why most people
would opt for two weeks. (If we were rational creatures surely we would opt for two
days and take it easy for the next 12 days...).

Parkinson’s Law is a perfect example of stage two in my system which I detail at end
of the book.

So, Parkinson’s Law dictates that you would produce a better result after 2 days,
rather than 14, because the information is fresher in your mind. If we can overcome
instinctive decisions and understand we can ‘get 12 days off’, the benefits are clearly

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 27

seen.

- Eustress:
The word ‘distress’ is one that we are all familiar. So what is eustress? It’s the
opposite of distress – its ‘good stress’. Is there such a thing?

Believe it or not, stress is good for us. It builds up our internal bar for appreciation, it
forces growth, and it gives us a sense of achievement. In a nutshell, stress is
imperative to happiness.

“Without the downs, you can’t truly appreciate the ups”

I always thought that some stress was good for us, and then I was fortunate enough to
come across this term. To make it easy to understand I’ve written some real-world
examples of eustress and distress below:

Eustress -- running a marathon and beating your personal record.


Distress – having to perform a in a theatre production you don’t know the lines to

Eustress – stepping up to take a penalty kick in the World Cup final of football
Distress – ...and missing

What distinguishes the two is how you feel after the stressful activity. In eustress you
feel relief and happiness afterwards. In distress you are still suffering.

Does this make sense?

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 28

ACTION STEPS...
Can you see how Parkinson’s law would make you more effective and productive?

Can you see how an understanding of eustress would make you more effective and
healthier?

Do you have a greater understand of what stress is now?

Do you think that in the future you can now identify whether stress is eustress or
distress, and act accordingly?

Do you agree that by understanding these concepts you can increase your productivity
NOW?

O.K, I’m going to break this up with the central philosophy of my


system. It will make sense later...

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 29

Chapter7. Gimme, Now: Powerful Ideas to Leverage


Your E.I

So 90% of your mind is where you’ll find our instincts, hormones, habits and myriad
other processes. These all conspire to affect your emotions, which then go on to affect
your decisions.

This is a powerful idea I’m about to explain -

At birth, your emotions start off as a clean slate - perhaps leaning slightly towards
good or bad. If they aren’t given direction as they grow, emotions become bullies to
the body.

So what can you do if you haven’t been blessed with ‘good’ emotions? (The vast
majority of us)It lies in that 10% that you have control over – or can at least choose
to have control over. The 10% is like how a good teacher would influence a naughty
child -- with encouragement, that bully grows into an ally.

Now how would you influence a bully? Are you going to let that child get away with
murder?

“Become a teacher to your mind”

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 30

Story - Honey, stay out the road - How not to do E.I


My folks have a dear little dog called Honey, a female cocker spaniel that is the
most obedient and beautiful dog I’ve known -- of course, I am biased.
Unfortunately, she’s recently been losing her eye-sight, a genetic problem in
aging spaniels, but when you call her from afar she’ll eventually find you, and
sit at your feet with a big old pair of puppy eyes.
My step mother, being retired, has got the gardening bug. She tends to the
garden, front and back, rain come shine. People are always strolling past,
complementing her on the front garden, and this no doubt encourages her to do
more.
So what is a little doggy to do when she’s lonely and no doubt bored inside the
house - nothing to bark at, and no one to pester? Well, follow my step mum out
of course.
Now, the back garden is comfortably under siege, it doesn’t matter if next
doors cat, Whiskers, is perched on the back fence, Honey can’t reach him – and
with her eyes there’s more chance of her jumping into the pond than up the
fence.
So what of the front garden? The front garden is conspicuously absent of any
boundaries – no walls, no fences, no gates, no bushes, no chain mesh, and not
even a picket fence. One boundary, however, is very clear -- the road.
When my step mum is suitability high on the beauty of her own garden, there
sits little Honey to complete the picture of a 21st century Eden’s garden --
complete with rush hour traffic and all.
And so with this road I gave my step mum a brief warning of Honey’s
impending doom. It didn’t nudge her. A casual explanation didn’t nudge my
step mum. Even a thorough detailing of how an animal’s instinct invariably
comes before the green code didn’t nudge her.
I’ve concluded, she is the only customer that I would outright reject at the door

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 31

to my information products on E.I. (And I don’t reject ANYONE) It would be


like drawing blood from a stone, I’m sure of it.
And so, I wait patiently for Whiskers the cat to evolve the intelligence to work
out how to eradicate Honey -- by staring longingly at Honey from the other
side of the road.
At least then Whiskers could comfortably have a full crap in our garden.

• E.I Skills needed:

- Self Awareness
- Personal Decision-making
- Conflict Resolution
- Insight
- Empathy
- Assertiveness

ACTION STEPS...
Do you understand the ‘bully’ analogy?

Do you understand that, like a human relationship, it takes time to make emotions
work for you, not against you?

Do you accept that you’re never fully in control of your emotions but if you treat
them right, they will become more obedient?

Do you understand how NOT to do E.I?

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 32

Chapter10. Do you feel successful? The Secret to


High Performance
There’s a great ocean between thinking, and doing. Everyone’s got that golden
invention that would tip the world upside down – millionaires overnight they’d be.
But millions of people keep their ideas to themselves. Millions of opportunities live,
and die in one mind.

But what comes of ‘feeling’ and doing. Is feeling and doing the same as thinking and
doing?

They couldn’t be further apart...

“Trusting your gut instinct.”

When people ‘feel’ and do, it’s immediate. It’s not a thought, it’s just done. True
achievement is when people continuously act/react on feeling, alone. They’ve
practiced so much that the instructions don’t even need to become a thought – it’s
instinct, it’s habit, and it’s like a God playing with mortals.

So why are people so full of broken aspirations and hollow dreams?

When we ‘think,’ we are translating feelings into thoughts. These feelings are
messages from our instincts, our habits, our hormones, (the 90%) and even what
we’re physically seeing. By the time we’ve stopped to think, our logical brain has
already desperately started to rationalise these messages.

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 33

During this process we get all the mixed messages. Now we have countless messages
that your logical mind is trying to put some meaning to. Eventually we ‘rationalise’
the answer but by now it’s hopelessly corrupt.

We get the following -

• What if...
• But ...
• I can’t do that...
• I’m not ready...

IMPORTANT POINT
Our instincts, habits and hormones manifest themselves, if at all, in our conscious
mind (10%) through feelings. When we act on feelings we are harnessing the raw
power of the emotional mind. (90%) Star performance comes when you have put the
conscious time into training, and have taught your unconscious mind all it needs to
act upon. Through thinking you contaminate the message, and it results in limited
performance.

When you have put your 10,000 hours into any one practice, whether that is
playing the violin, or learning a martial art, true skill isn’t about conscious
focus. It’s about living in the moment and just doing it. 3

“When you feel you get results”

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 34

Elite performers
Most people

Story: Ace!

As I write this book, a Tennis match has just this minute finished that will
change the face of tennis; and no doubt the perceived stamina potential of
humans. The previous record held for the longest game of tennis, if I’m getting
my facts right, was 24 games to 26, which in itself was an incredible score
when you consider the average game is a straight ‘first to six games wins.’

It’s Wimbledon 2010; American born John Isner is playing French born
Nicolas Mahut. They’re up to 59 games all and still serving at 120 mph. The
powers that be, however, have decided to call it a night. It’s getting dark.
The next day the mutual resilience continues. Finally though, one relents. John
Isner breaks away to win the game at a phenomenal 70 games to 68, after 11
hours 5 minutes of full throttle tennis. The match was stopped for the evening
at 59 games all but it still stands to reason...

• E.I Skills displayed:

- Self Awareness

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 35

- Communications
- Handling Stress
- Managing Feelings
- Assertiveness

- How did they go on for so long?

There are two explanations:


1. Both players were of an extremely close ability in performance.
2. Comparatively, they had very strong mentalities – this is where E.I plays a part.

These players, from the moment they stepped out onto the court were in ‘feeling’
mode, they would rely on all those years of training, the leveraging of the 90%, as the
game progressed.

If these players had been thinking, they would have ‘thought’ they were tired and
‘rationally’ called it a night after say, 20 games. If they were ‘thinking’ it would have
destroyed that natural focus. They were just feeling, and as a result of that, they
would have continued to play until their bodies collapsed.

“A thoroughbred horse will run until its heart bursts and it dies on
the spot. A man will go to thirty per cent of his capacity and then
he drops – but he is not dead by a long way. At this stage the mind
must take over or force or fear takes over the mind to extract
another thirty percent at least that is available.”

-- Legionnaire, by Simon Murray

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 36

How can YOU become a star performer?

“Every battle is won before it is ever fought”

-- Sun Tzu

To put it simply, the single most important aspect is to prepare -- simple as that.
Ask any fitness coach in the world, and they will tell you the most important part of
your exercise routine is the warm-up.

If you don’t prepare, acting on feeling alone is suicide, you simply can’t leverage the
power of your 90% because it doesn’t know anything. Just because you ‘feel’, doesn’t
mean you should. But the more prepared you are, the better position you are in to rely
on your 90% when it takes control in stressful performing conditions.

“Numerous experiments have conclusively found that abilities to


handle emotions are better indicators of future success, than I.Q
levels”

We humans are hard wired to ‘know,’ or rather, think we ‘know’. Following, is a


small section from a book called The Intelligent Investor. It’s a seminal work on
stock investing by Benjamin Graham, a man who taught Warren Buffett a thing or
two. Incidentally, it’s a book that reinforces emotional control over intellect, and if
Warren Buffet endorses it, you know he was talking some sense.

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 37

“It turns out that our brains are hard wired to get us into investing
trouble; humans are pattern-seeking animals. Psychologists have
shown that if you present people with a random sequence—and tell
them that it’s unpredictable—they will nevertheless insist on trying
to guess what’s coming next. Likewise, we “know” that the next
roll of the dice will be a seven, that a baseball player is due for a
base hit, that the next winning number in the Powerball lottery will
definitely be 4-27-9-16-42-10—and that this hot little stock is the
next Microsoft.”4

...Just remember this on your next holiday to Vegas, ok?

If, on the other hand, you have prepared, (and the line between being prepared and
not prepared is hazy but read on) your chances of success are raised. Even if you fail,
your mistakes will give you vital clues about the state of your 90%.

Just one mistake ‘in the field’ is better than endless preparation. Why? Because
preparation becomes repetition and a mistake becomes pathos.

Imagine a player who has natural talent. This player is using his 10% very efficiently;
it just makes sense to him. Take a seasoned professional who is leveraging 90% and
you begin to see a whole different game. 90% is not only more powerful, but it’s
more consistent too, because it doesn’t rely on the ‘accident prone’ 10% (the
conscious mind).

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 38

ACTION STEPS...
Do you understand the difference between thinking and doing, and feeling and doing?

Do you understand why people don’t achieve?

Do you understand that great performance is about relying on your 90%?

Do you understand that when you feel, you get results?

Do you understand the importance of preparation?

Do you accept that we humans are wired to see what’s not there? (Dice patterns, the
weather, you name it. Even ghosts!)

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 39

BONUS: Irrationally rational

“There are wealthy gentlemen in England who drive four-horse


passenger-coaches twenty or thirty miles on a daily line in the
summer because the privilege costs them considerable money; but
if they were offered wages for the service, that would turn it into
work, and then they would resign.”

-- Mark Twain, American author and humorist

At some point you will have to accept that we are irrational by nature. Simply put,
every message that your brain receives (through the spinal cord at the rear) passes
through your emotions (in the central area of the brain) before it gets to where your
rational thinking takes place (at the front of your brain) – it’s impossible to make a
judgement purely on logic. But this is where E.I comes in. Through conditioning we
can use that 10% (the front) to make decisions based on an understanding of the
emotions we experience. (Centre)

Making a purely rational decision is impossible, and it’s the awareness of your
emotions that is the key to good decision-making.

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 40

Recently, I finished reading a


wonderful book called
Predictably Irrational, by
Dan Ariely. He gets you
questioning why you make
the decisions you do, and
takes you through
experiments to prove just
how irrational we are – great
read.

ACTION STEPS...
Do you accept that many of your ‘rational’ decisions are actually irrational?

Do you understand that every decision you make has already been tainted by your
emotions – affected by logically unrelated things (i.e. reminds you of a partner you
once had)

Do you understand that making a purely rational decision is impossible, and it’s the
awareness of your emotions that is the key to good decision- making

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 41

BONUS: The Law of Momentum

Travel:
I can’t think of any better way to gain mental momentum, than travelling. An act that
forces you to perceive the world from a different perspective, filling your mind with
persistently new experiences, giving you the foundation to build more associations
later in life – better learning capabilities. Even the exploration of completely new
cultures is a re-birth in itself. A rich variety of landscapes results in a rich mind. How
can you not pick up mental momentum with so much inspiration?

“How far you physically look ahead, translates to how far you
mentally look ahead”

Buy a notepad and a few pens, and travel. Whether it’s 10 miles, or 10,000 miles;
whether it’s a week, or it’s a year, travel gives your mind the stimulation to organise
itself.

“We need only travel enough to give our intellects an airing.”

-- Henry David Thoreau, Walden,, author and famous minimalist

ACTION STEPS...
Do you understand the benefits of changing your scenery?

Do you accept that new experience makes you more courageous emotionally?

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 42

Chapter17. The ‘Ignition’ System – My Philosophy

You are about to learn the 3 three step process I use to create solutions to problems in
health, relationships and money. With this system you can nurture your own E.I in
your life.

 Step 1 - Fuel for Fire


This means that you can’t expect to get any meaningful results without first putting
something in – preparation. People expect money, they expect respect, and they
expect change. But you can't expect a flame without first providing the fuel. This
doesn't necessarily mean you have to work hard, this means you have to use your
noddle -- your brain. It's amazing the results you can achieve if you simply know
WHAT to do. The time and money saved is invaluable, and that is what this system is
for. Preparation guidelines are narrowed in scope to cater specifically for the problem
at hand. (That could be depression, fear, anger, social skills and so forth.) There are,
however, three main pillars that all guidelines stem from:

1) Self Awareness/Assessment:
Identifying, expressing and managing feelings.

“One of the foundations of emotional competence – accurate self-


assessment – was associated with superior performance among
several hundred managers from 12 different organizations.
(Boyatzis)”11

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 43

2) Impulse Control:
Knowing the difference between feelings and actions, and learning to make
better decisions by controlling the impulsive urge to act -- particularly by
anticipating the consequences of your actions.

“Shall I have one sweet now and one only, or wait 5

minutes with nothing and then have two?”

3) Communication:
Being able to read AND listen to emotional/social cues. Rising above negative
influences by identifying your principals held and the reality of the situation.
Understanding what behaviour is socially acceptable and empathising with
other people's perspectives.

“Fail to prepare, prepare to fail”

 Step 2 - Burn your Bridges


-- The removal of your willpower, which is a weakness.

This is where the real change begins...

So much opportunity in life is just a case of putting one foot in front of the other. It’s
so easy when you put it like that isn’t it? But we have those clouds over us called
emotions that obscure our view of the stars.

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 44

Here’s a powerful idea...

If we were in control of someone else’s life, they’d all be presidents, professional


athletes, rock stars and millionaires in no time. It would just be a case of saying, “I
want to do this...”

To stay consistent with willpower is a big challenge, and it takes your every strength
to hold your grip. Much more effective is removing it from the process completely.

You’re working with 100% instead of 10%

By burning bridges you gain control of ‘someone else’s life,’ you’re taking your
emotions out of the equation and you have no choice but to succeed. By leveraged
planning in advance, you remove the risk.

Story: What Happened?


In 210 BC, a Chinese commander named Xiang Yu led his troops across the
Yangtze River to attack the army of the Qin dynasty. Pausing on the banks of
the river for the night, his troops awakened in the morning to find, horrified,
that their ships were burning. They hurried to their feet to fight off their
attackers, but soon discovered that it was Xiang Yu himself who had set their
ships on fire, and that he had also ordered all the cooking pots to be crushed.
Xiang Yu explained to his troops that without the pots and the ships, they had
no other choice but to fight their way to victory or perish – they won nine
consecutive battles.12
E.I Skills needed:

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 45

- Self Awareness
- Empathy
- Personal Decision-making
- Insight
- Managing Feelings
- Assertiveness
- Group Dynamics
- Conflict Resolution

Through burning your bridges you leverage your environment which is out of your
control, in place for willpower which is in your control but difficult to maintain. It’s
my mission to help you turn those clouds into a starry night, and it’s also my mission
to help you plan and make life changing decisions – one after the other.

This strategy may not be viable for every problem E.I can solve – not every problem
calls for such severe action. But it is definitively the most efficient. Other methods I
explore on the web-site may leverage willpower but you can be sure I will always use
techniques you can use that heighten your chances of success.

 Step 3 - Burn Baby Burn

And then we reach our last step. You’ve done the preparation, you’ve done the
legwork, but now you need to stitch up all that work so it doesn’t come undone.

− Value driven - Where removing your willpower from the equation gives you

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 46

greater leverage and faster results, living and being directed by deeply held
principles is the best weapon against habits returning with a vengeance; and
that is why it's the last point of the system. If the sacrifice of willpower is the
furnace, your values are the temperature regulator. When the right actions are
taken you can recognise the benefits early on, but emotional influence is
always a work in progress and values will reinforce change.

“Lasting change requires sustained effort, you can leverage

this through principals that you genuinely believe to be true.”

Note:
I may sound like a convicted arsonist but I assure you, there's a reason for using fire
as an analogy:

Fire does not equal:


• Laziness – I.e. “I can't be bothered to escape my otherwise certain demise...” I

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 47

don't think so.


• Tiredness – I'm sure a fire would snap you out of lethargy.
• Anger – Anger only serves to waste time. You should be thinking about
solutions not problems. Shouting at the fire won't make it go away; I don't care
what you say.
• Ambling through a park – As nice as it sounds, we have more important
engagements. Besides, in the future with a healthier mind you'll be able to
enjoy it more.

ACTION STEPS...
Does step 1 ‘Fuel for Fire’ make sense to you? Is there any way you can begin to
action the ideas today?

Does step 2 ‘Burn Your Bridges’ make sense to you? Is there any way you can begin
to action the ideas today?
Does step 3 ‘Burn Baby Burn’ make sense to you? Is there any way you can begin to
action the ideas today?

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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 48

- Final word -

Hi! I hope you gained something from this mini-guide to Emotional Intelligence. Of
course is this book didn’t quite quench your thirst for information you can always buy
the full version, which include much more valuable and interesting information. Just
head over to www.emotionali.com

Bonus! You earn an electronic hug from me if you leave a comment/testimonial on


my discussion page http://www.emotionali.com/?p=60 (Ok, so it’s not exactly a
bonus but hey, with a community we can share the love! Ahem).

Talk soon,

Dave Hawkins

- Redefining what it means to be smart with emotional intelligence –

**THIS EBOOK WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY


EMOTIONALI.COM
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Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 49

REFERENCES/ NOTES:
• 3 - THE 10,000 HOURS CONCEPT – GLADWELL, M. (2009), OUTLIERS, PENGUIN
• 4 - “Are You Wired for Wealth?” http://tiny.cc/9kahg - 24/06/10
• 7 - Business Case for E.I: http://tinyurl.com/39lply4 - 25/06/10
• 10 - Business Case for E.I: http://tinyurl.com/39lply4 - 27/06/10

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