Not surprisingly, this golden mean became a popular idea, especially among rich. It was just what they wanted to hear! Remember that majority of Aristotle's students were wealthy--who else had time to study philosophy all day? Aristotle himself ended up being handsomely paid--especially for a philosopher!

Aristotle had his work cut out for him trying to remain moral while becoming wealthy. His most famous student, classic overachiever Alexander Great, clearly never got point about moderation. Aristotle's emphasis on golden mean got lost in all excitement about pursuing whatever you like.

Hmmmm. Sounds a lot like modern life, doesn't it?

What kind of life would Aristotle suggest we live in midst of all stuff of 21st century? What does moderation mean now?

Wealthy people are not necessarily more or less moral than anyone else, but they ARE tested more than rest of us. They have means to live an excessive lifestyle if they choose to do so. If you live large, your morality--or lack thereof--is magnified for world to see. Add a dash of celebrity and a stint on TV, and you start serving as some sort of example.

This is where we get confused between "a good life" and "the good life".

We're fascinated by choices people make when they have ability to live any way they choose. We read magazines featuring photographs of celebrities in their homes. We watch television shows that give us tours of properties owned by billionaires. We're both fascinated and repelled by reality shows that offer riches to those who manipulate others.

Why? It's because we're curious about choices made, and we wonder what we would do given same set of circumstances.

Seeing homes, furnishings, and cars gives us an idea of what is valued by individual. We watch because we wonder what choices we would make if we had same bank account. Would we be extravagant? Would we live simply? Would we be tacky or tasteful? Would we horrify neighbors or build a better community? Would our children be kind, compassionate, and generous, or would they be self-centered brats with a huge sense of entitlement?

Would we be like Sting--or Ozzy Osbourne? Would we have daughters like Sofia Coppola--or Paris Hilton?

Most of us have the, uh, good fortune of not being tempted to live without limits. Without being fully tested, we don't really know how we'd fare in a world of big money and bigger visibility.

The wonderful thing about living a good life is that it is possible to do it at any economic level. You can live a good life in poverty or wealth. Though we tend to think it's a lot easier to be an excellent human when we have sufficient funds in bank, both versions--rich and poor--come with plenty of challenges.

It's tempting to put off becoming your best self until you believe you have financial support to do it. "I'll be generous once I get to top," you think. "I'll be kinder when I'm not so stressed." "I'll give back to community when I retire."

There's no dollar amount that precludes or guarantees a good life, and there's no reason to postpone your own greatness. You may win lottery tomorrow, or you may lose everything. Despite any dramatic shifts in your personal fortune, you can live a good life today.

Note and relish your own spontaneous woos on a daily basis, and look for ways to increase and deepen them. Think, be happy, and share that wealth in words, wit, and warmth.

The good life never felt so good.

Emotional Intelligence teaches you how. These are all competencies that can be learned.

LEARNING EQ

I read on someone’s website other day that EQ is hard to learn. On contrary, I find most clients pick it up quickly because it’s such a relief. “No one ever explained that to me,”they say, or “Now I get it.” These competencies are things we can always improve throughout our lifetime, however most people see immediate positive results. The point is to set train on tracks so it can start rolling.

EQ is such a good system, Lulwa, a client in Abu Dhabi took program on Internet, with interaction by phone, instant message and email and said, after just 3 months: [quote] Since I started learning emotional intelligence, I have noticed following positive changes:

1.I am more patient in dealing with angry people. 2.The ability to empathize with others helps in being able to receive love from others 3.I get in less fights in conversations 4.It is easier for me to solve problems

Lulwa, who gave me permission to quote her, was getting benefits in her life after just a few weeks. Undoubtedly she will continue improving because she has foundation in place and is getting rewards. Why would you stop doing something that makes it easier for you to solve problems? Once you’ve learned empathy, you can’t forget it.

Colleen Sibeijn, who took The EQ Foundation Course© ( http://www.webstrategies.cc/EQcourse.htm ), weekly interactive lessons on internet for three monts, also got quick and lasting results. “I did course last year and have become so much more in tune with my emotions and of those around me,” she said. “I am more in control of them and my family and friends have noticed.”

BENEFITS

So benefits are rapid and long-lasting because they’re self-perpetuating. Taking our four competencies again,

·CREATIVITY: Picasso was creative, but if it were something you ‘have’ one day forever, he wouldn’t have had a blue period and a cubism period. ·RESILIENCE: Life can throw us a curve that requires a new level of resilience, but once you know how to be resilient, you have building blocks. ·INTENTIONALITY: As you continue to apply Intentionality to projects and relationships in your life, your ability at this will improve. ·AUTHENTICITY: Your ability to be authentic will be tested daily, because it takes self-discipline. You can constantly flex this muscle once you know where it is. Emotional Intelligence teaches you skills for making your life work better. It can be learned and most people see results immediately. Now that you know what it is, why not consider increasing yours?

The best method is to take a course and do some reading, and then to have some coaching by a certified Emotional Intelligence coach. EQ involves social and emotional skills, so you don’t really learn them until you put them into practice and get expert feedback. You can report back to your coach about how you handled something and learn what would’ve worked better, and you can also work directly with your coach on skills as need occurs in coaching conversation.

There’s no downside, and upside is very helpful.