And the Winner
Is…
How you can strengthen your personality and
become a well-liked person.
by Diane M. Yelencsics
TWEENS & TEENS News April
2007
“Please let it be me! Just say
my name, and I promise I’ll act surprised.
I’ve never won anything in my life.
I really want this.”
Deep down, all people envision themselves
as frontrunners someday. They wait expectantly
for the moment when they’ll steal the
show and bask in the glory.
How badly have you wanted recognition? Have
you ever imagined being the athlete on the
field who scores the winning goal or the student
who finishes in first place in a spelling
bee? Have you envisioned yourself being the
most popular kid in your school?
Being judged superior makes you feel good.
When you feel good about yourself, your confidence
is enhanced and you start to believe you’re
invincible. Regardless, even if a person feels
ordinary rather than extraordinary, a person
must maintain his or her self-esteem. Otherwise,
that person risks suffering from a crushed
ego.
When you do take first place in something,
say a school spelling bee or a state track
competition, be careful not to feel overwhelmed
by all the attention. Fame is often short
lived. In time, someone will come along and
strip you of your title, and the limelight
will be a distant memory. Let’s just
hope you take many pictures to document your
glory days!
Why do people subject themselves to the scrutiny
and judgment of others? Do they yearn to be
remembered for their appearance, intelligence
or wealth? Probably not. Take charge of your
self-esteem and personality, rather than allow
the opinions of others to determine your fate.
Come out from under the microscope of your
peers. Don’t put your well-being in
the hands of others or enable anyone else
to judge or label you. Become your own jury—
and grant yourself a life sentence to be a
person with a high self-esteem and an empowering
self-image.
One surefire way of increasing your self-worth
is to always put your best foot forward and
make a good impression. Handling yourself
in an upstanding way helps to set you apart
from your peers. Simply raise the bar and
strive to become a thoughtful and considerate
human being in all of your endeavors. Choose
to be a nicer person, and others will want
to be around you. They’ll also consider
you worthy of recognition for your personality,
rather than your looks or some other superficial
quality.
When it’s not all about you and you’ve
become genuinely concerned with the welfare
of others, your entire character strengthens.
If you’re a kind person, you become
very likeable. When someone likes you, you
like yourself even more. The more you like
yourself, the more significant you’ll
feel. Your self-worth will flourish and you’ll
sense how thoughtfulness has improved your
moral fiber.
Start planting the seeds of decency in your
personality. If you make a conscientious effort
to practice the following ten suggestions,
you’ll eventually transform yourself
into a good-natured person.
Ten Steps to Attaining Star Quality
1. A smile is powerful. When
you smile, you become approachable and appear
to be a friendly person. Smile as often as
possible.
2. When you remember a person’s
name, you give that person the feeling of
importance. Everyone likes to be called by
his or her name.
3. Be a good listener. Ask
questions while engaging in a conversation.
You’ll make the other person feel that
you’re truly interested in what he or
she has to say.
4. People like to feel as
if they positively impact someone’s
life. Let people know they are important to
you.
5. Be appreciative. If someone
gives you time or consideration, let that
person know you value him or her.
6. Everyone possesses personal
opinions. Respect another person’s point
of view and be willing to be flexible in your
own way of thinking. Don’t think you’re
always right.
7. Allow all people—
friends, classmates and family members—
to maintain their self-worth at all times.
Don’t judge a person solely on one incident.
Critical, superficial judgments strip people
of their dignity.
8. Always try to avoid arguing
with someone. There is never a winner in a
harsh or unfounded argument, only hurt feelings.
9. Trying to cover up or
deny what you’ve done wrong makes matters
worse. The sooner you admit to your mistake,
the faster you can be forgiven.
10. Never be critical of
people. You’ll convey the attitude that
you think you are superior. Who are you to
judge someone else?
How hard can it be to incorporate these commandments
in your persona? Lead by example and be the
kind of person who others want to emulate.
Give yourself an upstanding reputation and
be someone who truly shines!
Diane Yelencsics was an art teacher for
20 years and saw the masterpiece within each
one of her students. Now she’s the author
of the first children’s “how-to”
book on character building, Being a Better
Me (BookSurge Publishing).
