REAL MEN have charisma
Interesting article posted last night on the science of Charisma by Dan Scotti with Elite Daily.
http://elitedaily.com/life/culture/charisma-born-to-be-charming/1037590/
Ladies can identify charisma seconds when a man walks through the door. But you don't hear men talk about who has more charisma in the men's room though because that isn't the point of conversation. So, man up and let's talk about it. Charisma can be a talent, skill that you aquire or maybe science is right, a gene that you are born with.
I was talking with my friend, Isaac Myers right after I read this article about Charisma. The term is Greek and actually means - gift of leadership, power of authority. Middle English, meanwhile, termed the word as "spiritual gift" or "talent from God."
George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Donald Trump, even Bruce Jenner are just a few Real Men who have what it takes to make time stand still whenever they enter a room. It's called Charisma. Not to groom over their celebrity status, but these people are fashionably cured, financially set, comfortable in their own body (per se), and all they need to worry about is changing the world. Most people that are charismatic, aside from what science might suggest, have the hunger for something greater in life than what they are.
I was a late bloomer when it came to sports, girls, and interacting with my peers. From what I can remember things started to change when I was nine years-old, and just hitting upward slope of being great at sports. I recall the temperature being a record breaking 136 degrees in Palm Springs, CA in the summer of 1995; so with a basketball and a giant water bottle, I went outside and played on my new hoop. It was during these practices that I actually became confident in my game. As I'm not a big Alan Iverson fan, from that point on, I was out practicing everyday, twice-a-day. At recess on the first day of a new school I was picked last. I didn't mind, because I knew my skills and abilities. When everyone found out that I was the teacher's kid, to test me, they passed me the ball to see if I was good enough or something. Odd enough as it is, I still remember making the first three shots, In that moment I was fit and ready for the next level.
When baseball season came around I was a little nervous. The year before when we used to live in Washington State, everyone I played with was a year older. During tryouts I did surprisingly well. I was the new south paw in town, and before long everyone knew my name.
Throughout the next two years, I dominated the basketball courts and the baseball fields; however, when I suffered a stroke, my life did a 180. When I was able to get a clear vision of my future, I often used to ask myself, "Why did I blossom then?" I remember how I used to say that I was the king of the court, how girls had crushes on me, and how I stood out wherever I went.
On the other side of this reality, I was a mean kid. I called people fat. I yelled in people's faces, I got in trouble now and then, and overall, I think I let my ego get the best of me. After the stroke, I started at ground zero. I did play basketball again, but from the bench. I did have girls that liked me, but only as friends. In short, I lost my confidence and charisma.
Throughout high school and college, I remember having spurts of confidencets, and
different episodes of charisma. However, it wasn't until shortly after college when I began
to understand the two points of fulfillment, which are the core of everything in life: (1) Finding fulfillment through living your life with purpose, and (2) Giving back. I can’t help but compare these to the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. And though I’ve never been to AA, I know that my life was sort of an alcoholic mess, if you want to use the recovery that AA brings as a metaphor.
That being said, these lessons allowed me to I draw the conclusion that charisma isn't so much about science, but much more about the fact that The Real Men who I am talking about carry the following attributes:
1. They remain excited for what comes up next in life;
2. They listen with compassion;
3. They are adventurous about what's out there;
4. They are fashionable wherever they go, and are not only comfortable in their own clothes,
but also with their own bodies;
5. They have a knack for making decisions that lead them to a better future;
6. They always smile and laugh...a lot -–– being happy is one of the key ingredients;
7. They enjoy their life as who they are; and
8. They give back to the community ––- through AA, BBQ'ing burgers for little
league crowds, or through a number of other forums and channels.
Science may play a part in what degree of charisma we all carry around, but most of that spark comes from within.
Who do you want to be? Why do you want to be that person? What can you do to change the world around you?
