A good time to use your Emotional Currency!

Emotional currency is a currency that is always available to you!

The Christmas and New Year season is a time when there is much demand for expenditure. We remember our loved ones, friends and colleagues and we desire
to show them how much we care by giving them different kinds of gifts. We aim to please our loved ones by spending much of our money (physical currency)
which may not be enough to meet the expectations of those to whom we give. Rarely do most people realize that they can use their emotional currency to
achieve the same result of happiness and fulfillment in this season. When we talk about currency, we refer to something that can be used as a
medium of exchange. Something like money – Pounds Sterling, Dollars, Euros, Gold, etc. Basically, currencies are used as means of exchange. You can use
currency to exchange for what you need. Referring to emotions as currency then means we can use our emotions to obtain what we want.
We may not be able to choose our emotions, but the study of ‘Emotional Intelligence’ shows that we can choose how to express our emotions in a more
productive way. Therefore, using our emotions as currency would mean expressing our emotions in such a way that we can get a desired outcome
without being manipulative. We can express our emotions in meaningful way by using emotional intelligence
competences. Some of the emotional competencies that we can express productively during this season include:

self-awareness, behavioural self control, integrity, Situational/organisational awareness and empathy.
Most people believe that the only way they can be happy and fulfilled this season is by having enough money to buy all that they desire and give all the gifts they
want to. Others’ happiness may depend on the number of gifts and invitations they receive during this period. For some others, everything must work as they
have planned including the work pattern they desire irrespective of what the situation is in their organisation.
Happiness and fulfillment in life is a choice and you can choose to have more of them by using your emotional currency.
Being self-aware during this season will help you notice and label your feelings, emotions and reactions. With self-awareness you are able to use your feelings as
a valuable source of insight and information about yourself, others and the situation. Demonstrating self-awareness will help you to notice when you are
getting out of your manageable boundaries. You will be able to receive the signal of tiredness from your body and know what to do. You can tell at the moment
when you are getting upset and know how to manage yourself. With behavioural self-control, you are able to keep disruptive emotions and
impulses in check this season. You can always choose your response to any given situation. Behavioural self-control enables you to respond to the events that
happen to you in such a way that you can achieve an intended outcome.

Integrity helps you maintain high standards of honesty and ethics at all times while living out your values. During times like this, there can be a lot of
invitations to functions; demonstrating integrity would mean that you do not intentionally over commit yourself. You don’t make a promise that you will be at
a particular place without the intention of honoring that commitment. With situational awareness, you are able to read social, and political currents in
family, social gatherings, the community and your neighborhood. With this competence, you are able to influence social, family, community and other events
without violating social, family, community and organisational norms. Empathy is sensing others’ feelings and perspectives, and taking an active
interest in their concern. This season affords you the opportunity to reach out and be a blessing to someone. Who can you help or show love without
necessarily expecting a reward in return? This is a good time to remember the words of Jesus Christ that there is more blessing in giving than receiving.
It is very nice to give and receive gifts this season from all the people around you. You may not be able to buy or receive as much gifts as you may want this period but that should not mar your season. You have your emotional bank account from which you can withdraw as much as you want and enjoy the period too.
Even when you have given and received all the gifts as you may desire, everything has been granted you as you have requested at work, you may still
not be happy and fulfilled this season if you don’t use your emotional currency.