girlonamission
28 Dignified Ways to Impress Everyone Around You
Dec 22, 2010
From the blog "Marc and Angel Hack Life: Practical Tips for Productive Living"http://www.marcandangel.com/
Far more often than any of us like to admit, our actions are driven by an inner
desire to impress other people. This desire is often reflected in the brand
name products we use, the bars and restaurants we frequent, the houses and cars
we buy and the careers we choose.
But are name brand products, fancy bars, houses and cars really that
impressive? What about a person who holds an elite position in a career field
they dislike? Some of these things might capture our attention for a minute or
two, but they won’t hold it for long.
Why? Because tangible possessions are not as impressive as intangible
qualities.
Consider the following questions:
* He drives a Porsche, but can he truly afford the car payment?
* He owns a big house, but is it a loving household?
* He makes a lot of money, but does he enjoy what he does for a living?
You get the idea. Whenever the answer to questions like these is ‘no,’ the
subject who initially appeared to be impressive no longer does.
Now take a moment and imagine a person who loves what he does for a living,
smiles frequently and bleeds passion in every breath he takes. Would he impress
you? Would it matter that he wasn’t a millionaire?
Here are 50 dignified ways to impress everyone around you. If you practice
these tips on a regular basis, they won’t just impress others, they’ll help you
become a better person too.
We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.
- Winston Churchill
1. Be authentic. Be true to yourself. – Judy Garland once said, “Always be a
first rate version of yourself instead of a second rate version of somebody
else.” Live by this statement. There is no such thing as living in someone
else’s shoes. The only shoes you can occupy are your own. If you aren’t being
yourself, you aren’t truly living – you’re merely existing. And ask yourself
this: If you don’t like who you really are, why should I like you?
2. Care about people. – If you don’t genuinely care about people, they won’t
care about you. The more you help others, the more they will want to help you.
Love and kindness begets love and kindness. And so on and so forth.
3. Make others feel good. – People will rarely remember what you did, but they
will always remember how you made them feel.
4. Be honest and take ownership of your actions. – Nobody likes a liar. In the
long-run, the truth always reveals itself anyway. Either you own up to your
actions or your actions will ultimately own you.
5. Smile often. – Everyone likes the sight of a genuine smile. Think about how
you feel when a complete stranger looks into your eyes and smiles. Suddenly
they don’t seem like a stranger anymore, do they?
6. Respect elders. Respect minors. Respect everyone. – There are no
boundaries or classes that define a group of people that deserve to be
respected. Treat everyone with the same level of respect you would give to your
grandfather and the same level of patience you would have with your baby
brother. People will notice your kindness.
7. Address people by their name. – People love the sight and sound of their own
name. So make sure you learn to remember names. Use them courteously in both
oral and written communication.
8. Say “Please” and “Thank you.” – These two simple phrases make demands sound
like requests, and they inject a friendly tone into serious conversations.
Using them can mean the difference between sounding rude and sounding genuinely
grateful.
9. Excel at what you do. – I am impressed by great guitarists, writers,
bloggers, painters, motivational speakers, internet entrepreneurs, computer
engineers, mothers, fathers, athletes, etc. There is only one thing they all
have in common: They excel at what they do. There’s no point in doing something
if you aren’t going to do it right. Excel at your work and excel at your
hobbies. Develop a reputation for yourself, a reputation for consistent
excellence.
10. Help others when you’re able. – In life, you get what you put in. When you
make a positive impact in someone else’s life, you also make a positive impact
in your own life. Do something that’s greater than you – something that helps
someone else to be happy or to suffer less. Everyone values the gift of
unexpected assistance and those who supply it.
11. Put a small personal touch on everything you do. – Think of it as branding
your work. If you’re funny, add a little humor into it. If you’re an artist,
decorate it with illustrations. Whatever you do, customize it with a little
personal touch of ‘you.’
12. Over-deliver on all of your promises. – Some people habitually make
promises they are just barely able to fulfill. They promise perfection and
deliver mediocrity. If you want to boost your personal value in the eyes of
others, do the exact opposite. Slightly under-sell your capabilities so that
you’re always able to over-deliver. It will seem to others like you’re
habitually going above and beyond the call of duty.
13. Get organized. – How can you get anything accomplished if you aren’t
organized? You can’t. Make a regular habit of organizing your living space and
working space. For some practical organizational guidance, I recommend David
Allen’s Getting Things Done.
14. Do your research and ask clarifying questions. – Don’t be that clueless
dude in the room who just nods like he knows what’s going on. Prepare yourself
by doing research ahead of time. And if something still doesn’t make sense to
you, ask questions. The people involved will respect your desire to understand
the material.
15. Share knowledge and information with others. – When you can, be a resource
to those around you. If you have access to essential information, don’t hoard
it. Share it openly.
16. Be positive and focus on what’s right. – Everything that happens in life is
neither good nor bad. It just depends on your perspective. And no matter how
it turns out, it always ends up just the way it should. Either you succeed or
you learn something. So stay positive, appreciate the pleasant outcomes, and
learn from the rest. Your positivity will rub off on everyone around you.
17. Listen intently to what others have to say. – Eyes focused, ears tuned,
mobile phone off. In a world that can’t move fast enough, someone who can find
time to listen to others is always appreciated.
18. Be faithful to your significant other. – Tiger Woods was everyone’s hero
until recently, wasn’t he? Sustained fidelity in a long-term intimate
relationship is not only impressive, it creates a healthy foundation for
everything else you do.
19. Learn to appreciate and love Mother Nature. – Those who truly appreciate
and love the natural world surrounding us typically exhibit the same high regard
for all humanity. It’s a positive way to live, and it’s something people
notice.
20. Invest time, energy and money in yourself every day. – When you invest in
yourself, you can never lose, and over time you will change the trajectory of
your life. You are simply the product of what you know. The more time, energy
and money you spend acquiring pertinent knowledge, the more control you have
over your life and the more valuable you will be to everyone around you.
21. Perform random acts of kindness on a regular basis. – Pay for a stranger’s
coffee in line at Starbucks. Buy the office receptionist flowers just to say,
“Thank you.” Help an elderly lady with her groceries. There’s nothing more
rewarding than putting smiles on the faces around you.
22. Compliment people who deserve it. – Go out of your way to personally
acknowledge and complement the people who have gone out of their way to shine.
Everybody likes to hear that their efforts are appreciated.
23. Speak clearly and make eye contact. – Most people have a very low tolerance
for dealing with people they can’t understand. Mystery does not fuel strong
relationships and impressiveness. Also, there’s little doubt that eye contact
is one of the most captivating forms of personal communication. When executed
properly, eye contact injects closeness into human interaction.
24. Make yourself available and approachable. – If people cannot get a hold of
you, or have trouble approaching you, they will forget about you. Your general
availability and accessibility to others is extremely important to them. Always
maintain a positive, tolerant attitude and keep an open line of communication to
those around you.
25. Be self-sufficient. – Freedom is the greatest gift. Self-sufficiency is
the greatest freedom. And self-sufficiency is quite impressive too. In the
business world, it’s one of the primary dreams that inspire people to give-up
their day jobs to pursue entrepreneurship.
26. Exploit the resources you do have access to. – The average person is
usually astonished when they see a physically handicap person show intense signs
of emotional happiness. How could someone in such a restricted physical state
be so happy? The answer rests in how they use the resources they do have.
Stevie Wonder couldn’t see, so he exploited his sense of hearing into a passion
for music, and he now has 25 Grammy Awards to prove it.
27. Be a part of something you believe in. – This could be anything. Some
people take an active role in their local city council, some find refuge in
religious faith, some join social clubs supporting causes they believe in, and
others find passion in their careers. In each case the psychological outcome is
the same. They engage themselves in something they strongly believe in. This
engagement brings happiness and meaning into their lives. It’s hard not to be
impressed by someone who’s passionate about what they’re doing.
28. Stand up for your beliefs without flaunting them. – Yes, it is possible to
stand up for your beliefs without foisting them down someone else’s throat.
Discuss your personal beliefs when someone asks about them, but don’t spawn
offensive attacks of propaganda on unsuspecting victims. Stand firm by your
values and always keep an open mind to new information.
Of course, the coolest thing about this list is that everything you need to
impress everyone around you is already contained within you. So stop trying to
impress people with the possessions you own and start inspiring them with who
you are and how you live your life.
