The Wonderful Power Of Charisma
	Enhancing Charisma <  Previous Contents Next  >

Understanding the power of charisma – knowing its importance and its essential elements – is never enough. If you really want to bring out the charisma inside of you and become the better person you thought you will never become, you will need quite of a change in your lifestyle: from the body to the mind, from the heart to the spirit.

Don’t settle to be ordinary. Dare to be different! Get out there and be noticed!

Enhancing physical charm refers to improving all your external features, from head to toe. Charisma starts with everything that can be seen by other people in you. Make a lasting impression. Let them see the power in you without opening your lips and moving your body.

• Be presentable at all times. Whether you will just buy some groceries at the neighborhood store or attend a very important business meeting, always aim to look your best. Consider proper attire (and make-up for women) for every occasion. Even if it’s a simple get-together with the family, you ought to be more than your typical look.

• Maintain good personal hygiene. An astonishing number of quite ordinary-looking women can give an illusion of strikingly good looks merely by being exceptionally well groomed. Take a bath at least once a day, wash your hands frequently, wear proper make-up, change undergarments (including socks, shorts, etc.) regularly, cut finger and toe nails short, maintain proper hair length, match clothes, and brush your teeth after every meal.

• Learn and practice proper posture. “Practice makes perfect,” they say. So, if you have any problem carrying out the correct form of the body, practice it until it becomes a habit: Proper posture starts with the alignment of the earlobe, shoulder, hipbone, and anklebone. An excellent way to get the feel of the way your back should be is to stand one foot away from an unobstructed flat wall, with back to the wall. Then, sit on an imaginary support by bending your knees with your back and head against the wall. Next, tighten abdominal and buttock muscles in order to tilt the pelvis up in front and down in back. Keeping your back and head flat against the wall, slowly inch your feet back to the wall and straighten your legs until you are in a standing position. This is now the correct standing posture. Finally, walk around the room, maintaining the same posture. Place your back against the wall again to see if you have held the good form.

• Wear a proper scent. This doesn’t mean too sweet, too strong, or too scented. Spray the right amount of body perfume or cologne enough to give a lasting fragrance for other people to remember you. We want you to attract people, not to send them away.

• Eliminate body-odor. Personal cleanliness and regular bathing is the first step towards controlling both bacterial growths on the skin and body odor. Especially in warm countries, try to wear clothing that lets air circulate and allows perspiration to evaporate, rather than accumulate, on your skin. Also, take advantage of commercial products that can be used to lessen body odor such as deodorants and antiperspirants.

• Stay healthy. Health is wealth. As clichéd as the phrase is, it is still true and undeniable. Being healthy is not really being thin or slim, not even being fat and obese. Rather, health is measured by being in good physical, mental, and emotional condition, and does not depend on the person’s weight or figure. A healthy body is not only a good picture to anybody else, but more importantly, a treasure for your well-being as well. Exercise regularly, eat a well-balanced diet, and get enough sleeping time to improve your health and avoid unwanted diseases.

• Smile! Nothing else attracts other people more than a sweet charming smile. Never frown because you’ll never know when someone is looking at you, even from afar. You wouldn’t want their first impression on you to be something bad, would you? Instead, make a lasting impression by giving an abundant smile that helps other people remember you.

• Maintain proper hair care. They say that the human hair is a person’s crowning glory. Even so, all women have those days when they wish they could cover every unwieldy strand. Talk about bad hair day! Get a good hair cut that suits your personality. It all begins right here. Without a perfect haircut, nothing else you do can give you the result you want. Moreover, keep it clean always. There’s nothing worse than dirty, oily hair that hangs in clumps.

• Customize and accessorize! Wear appropriate clothing suitable for every occasion. Know what is too much and too little. We want to draw attention not because of impropriety but because of our over-all appeal no matter what we wear. Also, take it easy with accessories. Only wear necessary ones.

• Discard the illusion of fatigue and exhaustion. Even if you had the most tiring day, it doesn’t excuse you from keeping the glow on your face and the energy on your body. Train your mind to block off worry and frustration. Empty your mind every night before you go to sleep. Before going to bed, forgive everybody who has offended you and leave the past as it is.

• Finally, bring out that confidence! Stand up straight with your chin up, stomach in, and chest out. Somebody who knows how to carry himself in front of people catches enough attention. If people see the picture that you are proud to be yourself, that you have nothing to hide, and that you are ready to give yourself to them, then they will easily like you!

Going now on the inside, charisma also requires that the intellectual aspect of an individual be influential. We cannot stay motionless forever; the physical appearance is not the only attribute that other people notice on us. In every moment of our lives, we use our brain. Even during sleep, our minds are awake. It tells us what to say, act, react, believe, and perform in particular situations.

Hence, to find out if a person is more than just beauty, his mental well-being should also be considered. After all, what is beauty if the brain is empty, right?

• Always bring a punch line with you. It is recommendable to crack a joke in the middle of a serious or boring conversation. Once in a while, people wait for somebody who can skew an intense discussion to make it lighter and more interesting. If you can be that person, surely, you’d be the favorite of the crowd. Just make sure that your jokes are clean and wouldn’t affect, discriminate, or humiliate anybody.

• Eliminate negativities. As much as possible, stay positive. Healthy thoughts produce a healthy mind and body. They will help you achieve what you want. People admire those who see the brighter side of life, rather than those who dwell on past mistakes and regrets. Who would want to believe somebody who doesn’t really believe on himself or anybody else?

• Never be afraid of fear and worries. Mental disturbances such as anxiety, panic, and distress might bring depression and can greatly affect your interaction with people. Therefore, regulate your thoughts, centering your attention away from mistakes, regrets, wrong doings, and other negative ideas. Get active and be interested in others.

• Go on a “five-minute vacation” once in a while. Relax. Achieve peace of mind by giving yourself time to recharge run down energy cells. When you’re feeling stressed-out, close your eyes, take deep breathes, and think of happy, peaceful thoughts. As you go back to reality, you can restart another intellectual episode of life, particularly dealing with other people.

• Always seek, never hide. Express yourself freely and fully. Don’t be afraid to let others know what you really feel inside. During discussions, say your opinions, questions, and clarifications aloud. Intelligence is not about knowing it all; rather, it is accepting what you can and cannot do, and fully utilizing whatever resources you may have. There are exceptions however. If you believe that what you’re about to say concerns a private matter, talk one-on-one with that person. And try your best to say your points of view in a positive way.

• Equip yourself with relevant ideas. Read a lot of books, newspapers, and magazines. Find time to watch TV programs. Go to the movies once in a while. Visit museums, parks, botanical gardens, and the likes. Whatever you do, make sure that you learn something new. The more you stock knowledge into your brain, the more interesting you’ll be and the more armed you’ll be, especially in times of surprise attack of interviews. Just make sure not to bore your listeners with useless, trivial facts.

• Dream…both literally and figuratively. When you’re asleep, your dreams let you know what’s really inside your heart – fears, desire, happiness, frustrations, and more. Never take them for granted. Listen to what each one says and decipher its meaning. It shall take you to where you should be, in search of true happiness, love, and purpose in life. On the other hand, it is also healthy (in fact, you are expected) to dream a certain goal in life – what you want to accomplish, what you want to have in life, or who you want to spend the rest of your life with. By having a definite ambition, your mind is gradually, but surely, endeavoring to find a way to make it happen. This improves your intellectual capacity. Notice why those who don’t dream can’t make anything out of life?

• Desire to win! The desire to have some overt sign of success is great when there are feelings of unconscious competition. Anything can become a contest – the desire to have the last word on a debate, the desire to be the best dressed on a party, or even the need to finish first in an experiment. These are all illustrations of the necessity to win. When you continually feel compelled to top the story told by another, your mind works on how to actually make it happen. Think success and believe that you are capable of being successful. Cease to think in terms of what you cannot do, but in terms of what you can do. Never think failure because if you do, who knows what will happen?

• Make healthy and sound decisions. Choosing from options is a great test of the mind and its ability to weigh consequences. Surround yourself with the facts. Argue the pros and cons. Visualize the outcome of your problem so you’ll know how to act upon it. See the consequences of your final decision; and once you’ve made one, believe in it. Stand up for your right of free thought.

• Be professional at all times. Everybody likes a person with discipline – whether it is as simple as falling in line or arriving on time. Once people see your professionalism being exuded, they will respect you as much as you respect their trust and expectation on you.

• Learn to be enthusiastic. Look for excitement and romance even in the simplest things you can find. Diligently practice eliminating all dull, dead, and unhealthy thoughts on your mind; they will just drain your energy and passion. Give all you’ve got to life and it will give its greatest gifts to you.

Man is a social being; he lives to socialize with other people. And if he cannot interact effectively, he may find it hard to survive in this world. After all, no man is an island.

Still, the truth holds that many people don’t really have the ability to communicate efficiently with others. They find it difficult to open up ideas with another person, to share their experiences and feelings, or even to just simply smile. Likeability for these people is challenging. Hence, if you want to develop the power of charisma, you shouldn’t neglect modifying your social skills and turning them into irresistible appeals.

• Don’t forget the simple gestures. Remember that every person is a being with appreciative feelings. It wouldn’t do any harm to smile and say “good morning” to a friend or a neighbor even if it is raining. Who knows, with that smile you may have already completed his day.

• Remember who’s who. A person’s name is the sweetest sound he hears. Agree? Therefore, exert much effort to remember it. Pronounce the name correctly and always add the appropriate title, such as Mr., Mrs., Miss, Dr., Professor, Sir, etc. Titles show respect and make the other people important.

• Look back and sympathize. How did you feel when you first stepped into a new school? Or when you were finally hired at a company where you knew no one? Learn to help and understand new comers on a group or organization, because you know the feeling of bewilderment that newcomers are experiencing when they are first starting out. Be the one to make them feel at home. Help them to eventually adjust to their new environment.

• Hey, listen! During a conversation, don’t put the entire spotlight on you. Pay attention when someone is talking. A good conversationalist is also a good listener. Talk if you have something to say, but listen and show interest to what others have to say. It is essential for the other person to see a genuine interest from you regarding the topic he is discussing or saying. If you keep interrupting while he’s talking, he will lose interest in continuing the conversation. Many conversations are ruined and misunderstood because some people don’t know how to listen.

• Discuss, don’t argue. A conversation’s primary purpose is to exchange interesting views under certain topics. If you find an idea you don’t agree with, let it be. It’s enough that you explain why you are not in favor with such thought; you don’t need to argue with a person. Respect his decisions as much as you want yours to be respected.

• Make others feel special. Learn how to make the people that matters to you feel loved and important. If there is a subject or a problem that another person can help you with, approach him by saying, “I consider you as an authority on this matter.” Show people respect, trust them, and share joyful moments with them. If they feel that they are special to you, the feeling will most likely be reciprocated.

• Always be available. Be willing to help others – be it advice, suggestion, or simply the right direction. Assisting someone else up the success ladder can help you, in turn, be assisted some time in the future. And let’s not forget the Law of Karma. You’ll be getting much more than what you’re giving away.

• Don’t be jealous! If someone other than you achieved success, do not doubt his luck or spread dirty rumors on how he succeeded. Instead, be happy for him. Learn to accept the fact that someone may be better than you at one point, as you are better than some people at other times. Also, understand that you do not make a hit every time. Experience has shown that if you always give your best, your average will break pretty well. Envy and jealousy won’t do any good to you or the other person, so don’t let it bother you.

• Stay away from gossips. The quickest way to become unpopular and hated is to spread tales and gossips about others. As much as you want your private life to be kept hidden, other people wish that, too. Hence, if you don’t want to be the victim of rude chatters and cold stares, don’t mind useless talks about other people.

• Take it easy with criticisms. Criticism is a form of unconscious competition. It means that you’re trying to find a soft spot in someone’s armor, a point at which you can fight him unjustly and win. Even if your intention is good, it may seem an attempt to pull yourself up by pulling him down. Most people are sensitive; they can’t accept judgment right away and they take criticisms personally. So, take it easy. Think before you speak.

• Forgive and forget. Learn to forget the mistakes of the past and press on to greater achievements of the future. Forgive people who have committed mistakes against you. Never keep anger or hatred in your heart, for it won’t do any good for the betterment of a relationship. Instead, take good care of a friendship and nourish it; because at the end, it is something that you can always depend on when you are failing or losing hope.

• Show appreciation. Let others feel that you like them. For instance, compliment the new hairstyle of your wife, notice how the coat of your secretary suits her personality, praise a job well done by your kids, and so on. Watch a smile and pleasant response come from the person being complimented. However, do it sincerely. There is this thing known as dishonest flattery that can ruin a relationship. Some people can recognize if you are being truthful or not; they can see right through you.

• Be thankful. No matter how simple a favor is done for you, make it a habit to say “thank you.” Any difficulties encountered to achieve a task will pay off as long as you recognize and appreciate their efforts. In turn, if you are the one being thanked for, don’t forget to say “you’re welcome” to the other person.

More than physical, intellectual, or social enhancement, development of charisma can never be complete without the spiritual power you ought to release in you. This refers to the intensity of your faith, adding confidence to the image you project to other people, which makes you more noticeable, likeable, respectable, and loveable.

So, to complete the casting of the wonderful power of your charisma, do not forget to develop your spirit’s potential.

• Make a self-assessment. Evaluate yourself and ask questions like: What are my spiritual needs? How can I fulfill those? Where can I find true answers to my life’s questions? Research intently on what religion or faith can actually provide answers to the questions you raised.

• Understand the faith you choose to believe. You won’t be able to pursue something you are not fully aware of. Do researches, attend religious services, and ask advices from friends and family members to help you decide on how to fulfill your spiritual needs

• Pray…on all occasions… every chance you get. Prayer is actually the most powerful weapon you can equip yourself with. It is very handy. Closing your eyes for a while and saying a little prayer can make a lot of difference.

• Believe and have faith. To help you make your prayers come true, believe that it will eventually happen. After all, their certainties lie in the hands of the Almighty. If faith can move mountains, it can also, without a doubt, make your desires happen.

• Meditate. Once in a while, spend some time alone to reflect on the things happening in your life. Relax. Take deep breaths. Recharge your body, mind, soul, and spirit against the frustrating and exhausting habits of everyday life.