One of the basic emotional skills is the ability to recognize different feelings emanating from within and giving a name to them. Knowing one’s emotional strength and weaknesses is of great help because the inner self has to constantly respond to the outer world. It is generally believed that if one cannot interpret one’s own emotions, he or she may not be able to identify the right path that might lead to success.

When it comes to being successful and a figure that is revered around the world, few can match up to the eccentric Portuguese footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo. He is a man who has become a role model and has inspired millions across the world. Today, he is a household name and makes more money in a week than the annual budget of many third world countries. Few sportsmen, if any, have managed to achieve as meteoric a rise as Ronaldo.

That Cristiano Ronaldo is a gifted footballer and a master of his arts is beyond question. However, when one speaks about emotional intelligence, Ronaldo was in the lower spectrum early in his career. When he started playing in his youth and especially after signing for the legendary football club Manchester United, Ronaldo was seen as someone who liked to show off more than produce; an arrogant young lad capable of little more than dancing on the pitch.

This can however be said of many famous sports personalities, the glaring light of fame often blinding young men and women to become arrogant versions of themselves. Sooner or later, this behavior comes out and starts impacting not only their play on the field but also their popularity off the pitch. How all of them react to the criticism faced because of these actions of theirs however is usually very different. How Ronaldo reacted, for example, was elegant.

When he started garnering intense criticism for his frequent outbursts and needless showing off on the field of play from both fans and his manager alike, he could have very easily ignored it and carried on with his arrogant self; instead Ronaldo embraced the criticism. Game after game, the manager, the fans and the media could all see a change in Ronaldo’s attitude. He started becoming lot less pretty and a lot more beautiful, producing more and more results rather than flashy skill shows. Not only did he become someone who the young football fans looked up to more and more, his play on the field also progressed by leaps and bounds. He became more athletic, more focused and more productive till the point that he is now one of the top goal scorers in football history. A few incidents every now and then, he is now considered as one of the most matured players of the game and is often revered as an icon for the youth.