What They Are Saying About You

We've all been there. Walking through the halls or sitting at the table at the coffee shop and you peer over to notice that someone is staring in your direction while someone else is whispering in their ear. It can be aggravating to the onlooker and  a misunderstanding for the culprit. The issue is that this can be used as an opportunity for you to change something to make yourself more positively perceived by those around you. Now I would like to not turn this into a gender war where I recommend that Men do this and Women do that, so I won't. 

My one recommendation is that you first ask yourself a few simple questions, and also read this article for more insight. But the question that you should ask is: What should people think or feel when they see or hear your name? This is the ground floor of what perception is all about. From getting a date to landing that first job out of college, the answer(s) to this question will determine your next few steps in making yourself the best you that you can be. 

Are you irreplaceable?

A wise professor told me once that you need to understand why you are doing what you're doing and develop a great story to tell. He also told me to watch A League of Their Own, especially the part where Tom Hanks' character says, "It's supposed to be hard." A person that truly believes that their story is one that is meant to be told ten, one hundred, or even a thousand times should know that making that story is hard. Creating a path is hard. It takes a certain type of vision to realize that what you have to show and tell the world will define who you are and what mark you leave on the world. I think of Apple when I say this. Apple left a footprint so large and deep that it will always be remembered and missed. That is the key. Be missed. Create yourself so that if you are lost, you will be missed.

Where are you going?

Technology peaks my interest. I also want one day to work for one of the most influential ad agencies in the U.S. This combination is just a few of the stepping stones that I have laid for myself in order to determine the correct pathway to my own success. Success, in my opinion, is not measured by the amount of money one person makes. But by the level of happiness that your influence has given to those around you. I understand that some are motivated by different factors, so with that in mind, find a route to take yourself there. Going back to Tom Hanks' character in A League of Their Own, "It's supposed to be hard." This pathway is difficult. Many barriers and even more for those that do not look for them. Many obstacles and even more for those that do not seek assistance on how to maneuver them.

If people will talk. Give them something to talk about.

Adam J