Emotional Intelligence

Yesterday while at church I noticed something that struck me to my core.

One woman in our congregation (who I adore), cannot read. She has always been very upfront to everyone about this.

But what I noticed was during all of the hymns being sung, she did not pick up her hymn book but she sang, and hummed along with the entire congregation. She was beaming with joy and it was obvious to anyone who saw her that she was filled with love and joy.

I grew up in a home with a father who spent his entire life working, fixing, and building cars and computers and who would digest newspapers in one sitting.

My mother spent the majority of her days reading books, and has three different college degrees.

Two of my brothers are engineers and when they get talking, I slowly slink away because I just cannot keep up in their conversation. Sounds like a different language sometimes.

And I, don’t have a masters degree, don’t have a bachelors degree, and I don’t even have an associates degree.

I am NOT an academic, I don’t read anything but scriptures and self help books, and my audio and visual reading comprehension is poor.

I’ve struggled my whole life believing that I’m not intelligent because of the above circumstances. But what determines intelligence?

Is it the ability to retain information? If so, what kind of information?

I cannot retain information in regards to historic dates, geographical places, and especially NOT names of celebrities.

BUT I, so like the beautiful sweet woman singing in my church, can pick up on beautiful feelings, I can see potential and compassion in every human soul I see and meet.

I can retain feelings. I remember how I felt in different places, circumstances and even moments. I can identify how others around me are feeling, what their concerns are. I notice details to people, because I have an infinite amount of love for the people I am around.

I see people, at their highest self. Those who are struggling, I want to love and encourage. I see us all in similar places, all trying to fulfill the same thing.

We all want to believe in ourself. That we are intelligent, loved, and enough.

Maybe the most intelligent people are those who take in all the information around them, and allow themselves to feel every moment in time.