On my train ride this morning I sat across from a guy whose shirt read “Totally Wasted.” And, the funny thing is that he was actually totally wasted. His hair frizzed out in an Einsteinian way, his glasses half-broken, and he stumbled from seat to seat until he decided to flop in front of me.
At first, I laughed (internally) at the irony of the fact that he lived up to the label on his shirt. But, then my mind went crazy contemplating all of the different ways we can choose to carry ourselves in public, and how this affects the way others view us. On top of that – why had this guy dumped himself in front of me? Why was I chosen to inhale his beer stench and listen to him grunt while he read the paper aloud? What did this say about my image? This could be no coincidence.
Back when we were on summer break from high school, it may have been cool to wear a shirt that said “Wasted” or “Confused.” Maybe you thought you looked so cute in your play-on-words “Diet Sexy” tee. Half of the reason this stuff may have appealed to us as teens is because of our lack of experience. As we grow, we learn that these labels mean something that we may not want to be associated with. Furthermore, we learn that we are labeleling ourselves with our posture, body language, and tone of voice.
How do you think strangers view you? Are you the one who homeless dudes flock to? Are you the guy who is constantly asked for directions? Are you the pigeon lady? Forgodsakes, why do you think that pigeons and cats flock to certain ladies? I’m serious. Do we send out signals that call for us to be treated the way we are treated?
I know why I am a weirdo magnet. I know it’s because I subconsciously have the need to constantly create characters and write stories, and weirdos provide me with this. But, if you find patterns of attracting the wrong people, or being mistreated or disrespected, you may want to consider what your image may be telling the world.
As you continue to succeed in business you will inevitably find that there is a time and a place to dress and speak in a particular way. And, once you get that down, you will eventually graduate to a point where you realize that you make the decisions about when and where you can dress in your “Wasted” shirt. Your outer image is a mere slice of what’s going on inside. You can be truly successful, and carry yourself in a way that feels natural to you.
When the confidence shines through – the world will see you just as you want them to.
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Great article. It’s all about the energy that we project out there into the universe. If we project intelligence and innovation, those things will be drawn to us. Like attracts like — always! That’s the universal law.