The Frimpong Manson Institute (FMI), a Christian Think-tank, in collaboration with the Addition International Centre for Emotional Intelligence (AICEI), has organised the maiden emotional intelligence training for clerics in Accra. The one-day training was aimed at ensuring that people in leadership position of religious organizations were trained on how to manage their emotions during stressful times Mr James Kwesi Addison, Chief Executive Officer, AICEI, said the training was also to ensure that relationships would be well built and groomed among church leaders.  'We will also look at a little bit of parenting because children can also cause problems to parents so any leader who does not have the ability to parenthood would have a challenge because the Bible says if you can't even rule your house then you don't have that mandate to rule the church. He said emotional intelligence refers to the capacity to recognize and manage one's own feelings and to recognize and respond effectively to those of others, adding that it requires the need to be self-aware, self-regulated, internally and externally motivated have empathy and social skills. He said emotions were subjective and triggered by both internal and external factors. They involve thoughts and interpretations about issues, often come with physiological changes and influence behaviour. 'There are seven basic universally identified emotions including anger, fear, disgust, contempt, joy, sadness and surprise.' Mr Addison said to build emotional intelligence one must perceive emotions, understand the emotion, manage it and use the emotions. He added that although emotions were not necessarily bad, there were costs to not being emotionally intelligent. 'These include the cost to self, others, parents, institutions, communities, and nation.' He said the individual ability to manage distressed emotions was important in every aspect of life. 'Looking at the current conditions in the world it is important to be on top of issues when it comes to managing emotio ns. Know what triggers any emotions to be able to know how to manifest same. 'There are generic strategies to manage emotions like taking a deep breath or walking away. Generally having a good rest balanced diet, and exercise plays a role in managing emotions because the distress and the pressure on the brain is likely to cause one to react in a way they would not in normal circumstances.' When you pump into any situation, you must be able to properly investigate and do a reality check. Impulse actions are not good for anybody, at any point in time we need to make sure that our decisions are well-informed  Mr Freeman Osei-Tutu Junior, a participant in the training commended the FMI for organizing the training, saying it was helpful, insightful and related to everyday life. 'The main thing I learnt from this workshop is that we should not act based on our emotions just like that but rather take a moment and verify, understand yourself, understand your emotions so that you can manage them better so that you don't land yourself into trouble.' 'I will recommend anyone to join the next time such a workshop is held because my expectations were met.' The FMI is a Christian think-tank institute in Ghana, established to provide truth and apolitical versions of issues to shape mindsets among Christians at various levels of society and the world at large to bring about transformation. It is aimed at transforming persons and societies with the message of Jesus Christ, integrity and ethics, as well as reshaping mindsets, policies and values at all levels of human endeavours with proven faith-based professionals of expertise and experience Source: Ghana News Agency