Energy

We saw him walk into the hotel lobby of the beautiful hotel in Waikiki.  He didn’t do anything in particular, didn’t have an extravagant or flamboyant outfit or hairstyle. He wasn’t loud or obnoxious so as to draw attention.  And yet he did draw attention – everyone’s attention.  As soon as he walked in, there was “something” that was compelling about his presence.  Who was he? Just a business leader, father, husband, and all around good guy. And yes, a millionaire. Those things were not apparent at this moment though.  It was his presence, his energy. It took over the room and grabbed our focus.

Have you ever met someone who just “was someone” when they walked in the room?  They didn’t necessarily do anything unusual or special, but for some intuitive reason, you just knew they were “somebody”, and so did everyone else. 

Now, we are all “somebody”, but few of us view ourselves that way.  I don’t mean in an arrogant, self-serving sort of way, but rather, a way that suggests inner confidence and ultimate self-assuredness.  I can think of a few people who fit this description and one thing that seems to be apparent in all of these people is energy or presence.  They exude energy, purpose, direction. 

I remember reading in David Schwartz’s book, The Magic of Thinking Big, that to gain confidence, we should consciously walk 25% faster – because it looks as if we know where we are going and we’re excited to get there (why wouldn’t we be , if we, being confident and purposeful, chose to go there in the first place?!).  I believe we can increase our physical energy through good habits like eating, rest and exercise.  But we can also create good energy (presence) through choice – simply by being purpose-driven in all we do – not necessarily goal driven, purpose-driven. 

Next time you’re at an event – business or pleasure, doesn’t matter, look around and see if you can spot that person of unique presence.  Take a “chance” and introduce yourself – you might be surprised how much can be learned in that moment.  Perhaps at some point, if not already, you’ll be that person for someone else.