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In earlier posts I have touted the importance of emotional intelligence for  career success.  But I recently read an article in qz.com that adds another important dimension.

Shirzad Chamine  was a Stanford MBA student when he was informed by some fellow students that they always felt judged by him.  After some soul searching, Chamine  named this judge inside his mind a “sabateur.” Our minds, he says, can be our best friend or our worst enemy. The sabateur  judges, controls, is a stickler and a victim.   Our “sage” is our best friend and the voice of positive emotion . The sage turns every circumstance into an opportunity to empathize, explore, innovate, navigate and activate.

Research supports this theory that links happiness with productivity.  Barbara Frederickson, a psychology professor at the University of NC at Chapel Hill is known for her theory of “broaden and build”.   This theory proposes that natural selection favored negativity as people focused on risks to survival,but that negative emotions hinder our ability to handle an urgent challenge.  Positive emotions, however,  broaden our options and enable us to play, explore, think more creatively and to build human connections.  So negatively aids survival, but positivity enables us to thrive.    People with a higher Positive Intelligence Quotient,  sage divided by sabateur, says Chamine, are happier and perform better in life and in their jobs.

Much has been written about the effects of negative self-talk.  In his book,  The Four Agreements, Don Miquel Ruiz says “Be impeccable with your word.” Your word can create the most beautiful dream, he says, or destroy everything around you.  You can use words to empathize and love yourself and others, or to destroy yourself and others.  Our words can be internal self-talk or they can be spoken out loud.  If you are impeccable with your word, your words will be life supporting, provide for happiness and increased productivity at work.

What can you do to improve your self talk, make it impeccable and increase your Positive Intelligence Quotient?  I advise my clients that when they become aware of negative thoughts, that should be a red flag that alerts them to take some deep breaths and practice mindfulness. Stop multi-tasking and  focus on whatever you are doing. It can be a work related task or washing the dishes. Being aware and conscious is critical to the process, and therefore essential to behavioral change that can result in greater happiness, productivity and career success.