Find a mirror. Gaze in. Run your eyes across your face... your body... your posture... Are you pleased with what peers back at you? Be truthful; no one would know ... are you satisfied with your appearance?... the way you carry yourself?... the expression on your face?... How you see yourself now possibly reflects how others perceive you. As you look on, you immediately realize how your projected image largely determines your fortunes. Is that a frown... a grimace? Maybe that's why everyone in the office avoids you. Or do you shine like the sun with that dazzling smile and upbeat poise? It explains how easily you get along with your boss and win promotions rapidly. Should you find your reflection any less devastating than a full ten points, heed the following suggestions now: 1) Recognize what you want. Clearly defined goals, both of the long term and short term infuse direction in your life. Walk through life with a purpose. You will feel important and others will hold you in esteem. Observe how your very outlook and poise changes when you have a defined PLAN. 2) Delegate responsibility. Maybe your haggard appearance spawns from juggling too many tasks simultaneously. You are only human and with finite abilities. Gather your trusted friends and enlist their help. Focus your action on the most important. You will have more time for more significant things. 3) Attack objectives one at a time. Never diffuse your energy. Even when you have identified your list of priorities, take each one at a time. Remember, your actions must be consistent with your current focus. 4) Project positive thoughts. Avoid thinking of the things you can't do; focus on what you CAN. Every failure is to be appreciated as a stepping stone to improvement. When you sense a negative thought creeping in your skull, squash it and replace it with a positive one. Do you want nasty critters overwhelming you? 5) Be as Buddha... eternally patient. Each time you lose patience, your blood pressure skyrockets. Your countenance turns hideous. Your compromise your performance with sloppy work. And people flee from you. Whenever you feel like climbing the wall, breathe deeply ten times before doing anything rash. 6) Make others feel needed and important. Smile at people like you've been missing them. Remember their names. Greet people wherever you go. You may be the ugliest thing on the earth, but if you make others feel good, they will worship you as a god. Learn when to acknowledge others' skill and authority. We all have our own expertise, so give credit where it is due. And people will admire you. 7) Make others dependent on you. When you manifest genuine admiration and regard for others, they will go against all odds to support your quests. When you lend a helping hand, even when not asked, they will volunteer in your hour of need. Give favors frequently... the Law of Reciprocity demands that the favor be returned. 8) Radiate enthusiasm like a supernova. PERK UP!!! We love people who walk with a bounce and jump with perk. Feeling low? Pull up that chin and wipe that growl! Unless you're a bouncer, frowning kills your image. Look how these two adjacent photographs compare! 9) Watch your voice. Keep the "uhms" and "ahhs" locked in a vault. Stuttering, lisps and bad grammar tarnish your image. Modulate your voice like a radio announcer. Here's a tip: prior to giving a long speech, hum loudly and in private for at least a minute. Allow your chest to reverberate. You will happily discover your voice acquiring a deep, mellow timbre. You'd confuse yourself with Sean Connery! 10) Observe poise. Rein in those galloping emotions! Breathe deeply and slowly. Allow your gestures measured movements. Move with great deliberation. Think of what you say and do before you do it. Sudden outbursts make you look unstable. |
