I hope you enjoyed our 16-part series of Soul Food with Mark Conner on the important topic of relational intelligence. Life is all about relationships. As we enhance our sense of connection with the people in our life, everybody wins. The topics covered in this Relational Intelligence series were: Listening. Emotional Intelligence. Empathy. Authenticity. Love … Continue reading Relational Intelligence
Soul Food Episode 44 – Friendship
Have you noticed that humans have an inbuilt longing for connection with other people? Of course, good relationships and friendships don’t just ‘happen’. They have to be cultivated and nurtured intentionally. Each of us has various circles or levels of friendship. • Acquaintances – these are the dozens and maybe even 100s of people you know but … Continue reading Soul Food Episode 44 – Friendship
Soul Food Episode 41 – Acceptance
One of the deepest needs in every human being is to be accepted – just as we are, warts and all. In fact, many people will do almost anything ... just to be accepted by others. If you want to enhance your own relationships, why not give others the gift of acceptance. Choose to value and respect … Continue reading Soul Food Episode 41 – Acceptance
Soul Food Episode 38 – Trust
Someone once said that trust is the glue of all relationships. Trust holds things together. In contrast, when there is no trust, relationships start to break down. Trust creates confidence and removes suspicion and fear. When trust is high in a relationship, you could even say the wrong thing and it will be okay. People … Continue reading Soul Food Episode 38 – Trust
Soul Food Episode 36 – Confrontation
Many years ago, when I was in my 20s, I was a youth worker at a church. At that time, we had a guest speaker from Africa. His name was Elijah Maswangungi. After his visit, I was given the task of driving him to the airport. On the way, he spent some time encouraging me. … Continue reading Soul Food Episode 36 – Confrontation
Soul Food Episode 35 – Love Languages
If I say to you, ‘Te Amo mucho!’ you might be wondering what’s wrong with me ... that’s unless you speak a little Spanish. In Spanish, ‘Te Amo mucho’ means, "I love you very much!” As you can see, these words only have meaning if the person I am speaking to understands the language I … Continue reading Soul Food Episode 35 – Love Languages
Soul Food Episode 33 – Empathy
My dad was an orphan who never knew his mum or his dad. He grew up in foster homes and boys' homes. Despite this, he tried to be the best dad he could be to my sister and me. However, he often missed my birthdays and special events when I was growing up. He would be … Continue reading Soul Food Episode 33 – Empathy
Soul Food Episode 32 – Emotional Intelligence
If I’m reading an annoying email and someone knocks at my door and I turn to them and yell, “What!?” That’s not very relationally intelligent. I’ve taken my emotion from one situation and bled it all over a different person for no reason at all. I’m sure they’d think twice before knocking on my door again. If instead, … Continue reading Soul Food Episode 32 – Emotional Intelligence
Soul Food Episode 31 – Listening
Welcome to this new series of Soul Food which is on the topic of Relational Intelligence. Life is all about relationships and we’ll be looking at a whole range of skills and insights to improve our relationships - at home, at work, at school, in our neighbourhoods … wherever we find ourselves. Relationships are built, … Continue reading Soul Food Episode 31 – Listening
Soul Food Episode 07 – Relationships
Episode 07 of Soul Food is about Relationships and can be viewed on the Soul Food YouTube channel. Here is the transcript ... I don’t know about you but the hardest thing about this global pandemic is not being able to catch up with my family and friends. Just to be able to sit down … Continue reading Soul Food Episode 07 – Relationships