Attitude: Your Public Face

“Well we all have a face
That we hide away forever
And we take them out and
Show ourselves
When everyone has gone
Some are satin some are steel
Some are silk and some are leather
They're the faces of the stranger
But we love to try them on.”

~~Billy Joel, “The Stranger”~~

Have you thought about who you are in public? Are you different at home with your family than you are “in business”? Have you considered your online persona? Are you the same? As I talk to more people about the importance of an online presence in today’s marketplace I encounter many who don’t understand who they “should be” online. A few tips: 1. Be yourself. 2. Listen first to what’s going on around you, and then engage in conversation. 3. Add value and insight. And 4, which is the most important advice I can offer, stay positive. No.Matter.What.

It is becoming more and more apparent as online social networking tools increase in popularity that too many people still don’t understand the impact of negativity in public. Say whatever you want to at home behind closed doors, but when you’re out there, whether in person or behind a computer screen, please, I beg you, stay positive. Airing dirty laundry, complaining about your job (or lack of one), dissing the guy you just interviewed with in front of MILLIONS of people online, or otherwise being negative and whiny is just not going to help you. Not in any way.

If you really can’t think of a way to spin it so it’s positive, if you simply cannot find that silver lining, just stay off the computer. You’ll be glad later that you made that choice.

Motivation

“The important thing is this: To be able at any moment to sacrifice that which we are for what we could become.” ~~Charles DuBois~~

Every moment we’re awake can be a learning experience. I was reminded yesterday through a series of events, that even (and maybe “especially”) the most challenging of situations are fantastic opportunities for learning and practicing what we learn. I silently cheered as I noticed that what I DID was not at all what I normally do. I sacrificed a habit. I learned from my past, applied what I learned to my present, and noticed a significant difference in how people responded to me. It was a great experience. It did not at all change the challenging situation. But in changing how I responded, I took responsibility for how I felt about the situation, and THAT made all the difference in the world!

What behaviors or beliefs can you sacrifice to become a better you?

Motivation

“The willingness to accept responsibility for one's own life is the source from which self-respect springs.” ~~Joan Didion~~

Two topics I love rolled into one quote; accepting responsibility and self-respect. I really like this one. I’ve never thought about self-respect as tied to being 100% responsible… but it makes perfect sense. I certainly respect myself more when I take responsibility for my self and my actions. I certainly find it easier to be 100% responsible when my ego is intact. I wanted to explore this further. I even went as far as looking up the “root word” or suffix “resp” to see if there were some deeper meaning, and I found this, the suffix for breathe is: “resp” (respiratory, respirator, respiration)… hmmm… very interesting. So here’s a leap of faith: being 100% responsible for yourself helps you build your self-respect, which in turn helps you breathe (read: live). OK, it really is a leap, but one I’m willing to take.

“They cannot take away our self-respect if we do not give it to them.” ~Mahatma Gandhi

Don’t give up that power. Be responsible for your own actions. Build your sense of self. Be proud of who you are. Live. Breathe. Enjoy!