Sister-Friend's Keys to Success Image Educate Yourself Attitude "Nowadays, attitude is the most important key to success," Sister-Friend tells her young listener. "You see, for some reason, a positive, cheerful, willing-to-help person is not as common as one would expect." "But there are other things you can do as well that will speed your path," she adds. "Like what?" asks her protege eagerly. Image "Well, there are several things. Let's see...well, the first thing others see is of course how you present yourself." "Oh, dressing for success, right?" Sister-Friend smiles. "That's part of it. Always dress for the position you want -- not the position you are in. Pay attention to the details -- polished shoes, neat hair, pressed clothing. But how you present yourself is more than just clothing. It is how you carry yourself." She leans forward and gently nudges the listener's chin up. "Carry yourself with grace and dignity. Head up, make eye-contact, shoulder's back!" They both giggle. "I guess I sound like a drill sergeant, don't I? What you want to do is project confidence. If you are confident in yourself, others will be confident in you. Oh, and it's not just posture - - you need to mind what you say ... here are some definite don'ts: Don't curse at work -- cursing is the tool of people with limited vocabularies. Don't talk about personal problems. Don't say anything negative about another person. You will tarnish your image the most. "You see, I think that it is very important to think about the image that you want to present. Think about the job that you aspire to -- do you want to go into advertising? Be sure to dress with style and show that you are aware of current trends. Think about your strengths -- are you young, but filled with ideas and skills? Maybe 'whiz kid' is the image you want to strive for. Whatever you decide, it is important that you think about the image you wish others to have of you ... or you might wind up with an image you don't particularly want." Educate Yourself "Sister-Friend, what do you think about classes and seminars?" asks the protege. "Oh, I think they are a fine thing. I think that is another quality that can ensure your success -- you should actively pursue bettering yourself. Not only with seminars, though. "Strive to learn from those whom you admire. Note how they conduct themselves. Pay attention to their attire, their manners." Sister-Friend pauses and smiles. "Many a person has improved themselves by watching to see which fork their boss used when joining them for dinner -- and I was one of them!" The protege looks at her, amazed. "You?" "Absolutely. I had one mentor who socially would be considered far above me. I watched her carefully and learned from her -- she never considered herself to be above anyone and acted accordingly. Her parties were wonderful to go to -- you would see such an array of people there, from the president of a company to a clerk from the office next to hers. And she made a point of teaching others and giving them a helping hand so they could advance." "Like you do, now," smiles the protege. "Thank you dear, I consider that to be a very special compliment. That's another thing -- try to live and spread the idea of 'each one, teach one'. Learn from others, but also teach others. I find that sometimes that is when I learn the most." Attitude "You mentioned 'attitude', Sister-Friend ... you said it is the most important key to success," the Protege begins. "Yes, it is." "But it sounds like you're just saying 'be nice.' Surely, there is more to success than that." "Mmm, maybe a little," concedes Sister-Friend. "But not much. Being nice is highly underrated -- but it is not undervalued. But attitude is more than just that. "You see, having the right attitude means figuring out how to make things better, rather than simply complaining about how things are. "It is: Saying, 'I'll figure out how to do that,' rather than 'I don't know how' Saying, 'I'll take care of it,' -- and doing it Seeing what is positive Telling a person who has given you constructive criticism 'Thank You' -- and meaning it Admitting 'I was wrong' -- because you know that what you are really saying is 'I am smarter today that I was yesterday' And most of all..." "Yes???" Sister-Friend says solemnly, "Most of all, it is being happy to go to work. When you have had too many days where you do not enjoy what you are doing, when you say that you have to go to work rather than you get to go to work ... it is time to look for something else." The protege nods. Sister-Friend laughs. "But here's my last bit of knowledge -- from my father: Don't ever quit one job before being hired for another -- companies want someone who is employed!" Sister-Friend is always interested in your comments and ideas -- in general or about her web page. Send her a message at CalypsoZ@swbell.net. She thanks you very much. Top Home Forward About this site Proud to be a member of the neighborhood.