If we get so busy with work that we ignore our health, we're in trouble. If hobbies take us away from friends and family, we're in trouble. Of course life has more than two ends to balance. We might be unable to get back in balance without a helping hand. It's okay to ask for help. Sometimes we can't achieve balance alone.

Losing balance from time to time means that we're human - it doesn't mean that we're failures. It could mean we needed a rest - it doesn't mean we have to stay there and fall.

A frequent balance check can prevent slipping too far to one end. We can choose to place sufficient weight on important areas: Family, career, finances, health, relationships, personal growth, spiritual, and play.

Identifying important areas in our lives can help us continue to enjoy all of life's most brilliant, dramatic, and memorable moments!

My initial statement is that “we” had a miscommunication; it doesn’t matter where it originated, we are now together and can proceed.

When I proceed with coaching, and become “curious” and ask her why she has spent 10 minutes talking about this, she comes on strong – proud of what she’s done.

I’m very punctual,” she says, “and a stickler for details. A perfectionist. I believe in doing things right. If we were supposed to call at … we need to know where problem is … you need to … I didn’t … you should’ve … I was right…” she goes on and on, typically proud, even arrogant about very trait that’s causing her so much trouble.

I listen until she’s through talking and then ask coaching question: “And how has this been working for you?”

I’ve never asked this question and found client to lack insight at that point. It’s a matter of tact and timing.

Emotional Intelligence starts with self-awareness, and we need to know how we’re coming across to others. So how do you improve your Emotional Intelligence? The good news is it can be learned. Take an EQ assessment ( http:/ inyurl.com/z94t ), take The EQ Foundation Course©, and work with a certified EQ coach.

These are social and emotional skills, so you can’t JUST read about them. You need to put them into practice, and work with someone who can give you good feedback. Group work is also good. I have interactive group teleclasses for this purpose.

The benefits to developing your EQ are immediate, and also long-term. They’re well worth time to learn. EQ matters more to your success and happiness in career and relationships than IQ. It’s especially effective if a project team, partnership, or entire office, all participate. Then there’s a common vocabulary and a common culture.

In today’s multicultural work environment, where there can be people from many different nationalities, ethnic backgrounds and ages, parts of country or parts of world in one office – and same for clients and customers. One person’s culture may be affiliative and chatty; another’s competitive and brusque. One may be strong in work ethic, another relaxed about deadlines. One hierarchical, another lateral.

Where’s common culture? How on earth can we tell where we’re coming from? In training EQ coaches from around world (and there is global excitement about this), I would say it’s Emotional Intelligence. It makes immediate sense to everyone who studies it. There’s a lot of “Oh that,” which happens when something is well-explained. It becomes obvious. After all, emotions are common language we share with everyone else on this planet.

In this case, it may well have been “my” fault, or “her” fault, but whose fault is it when someone becomes offended or shocked when they’re kissed on both cheeks rather than greeted with a handshake? When one person considers a contract end of discussion, and other person considers it beginning of a very LONG discussion? When in culture of country you’re dealing with, head person never talks, his assistant does, and you blow it completely? It takes a lot of understanding these days. EQ increases our ability to understand one another, and therefore to get along, and therefore to work together well and to accomplish great things.