Comparing the three domains, I found that for jobs of all kinds, emotional competencies were twice as prevalent among distinguishing competencies as were technical skills and purely cognitive abilities combined. In general the higher a position in an organization, the more EI mattered: for individuals in leadership positions, 85 percent of their competencies were in the EI domain.

It is difficult to spread the contagion of excitement without having a sense of purpose and direction.

I think the smartest thing for people to do to manage very distressing emotions is to take a medication if it helps, but don't do only that. You also need to train your mind.

We learn best with focused attention. As we focus on what we're learning, the brain maps that information on what we already know making new neural connections

The near cousin of optimism is hope: knowing the steps needed to get to a goal and having the energy to pursue those steps. It is a primal motivating force, and its absence is paralyzing.

I don't think focus is in itself ever a bad thing. But focus of the wrong kind, or managed poorly, can be.

Teachers need to be comfortable talking about feelings.