February 27, 2007

As You Walk the Red Carpet   You are on center stage, the red carpet, and all eyes are on you.  Who do people see?   In light of the Oscar walks down the red carpet, I’ve taken the liberty to create a checklist for your walk down the red carpet of life.    1.      Be confident, yet humble.  Self-confidence comes from within, yet it gives you an external glow.  This self-assurance makes you more approachable by others and more trustworthy.  People are drawn to you.  Be mindful of the fine line between confidence and ego, though.  There is no room for a big ego in healthy relationships.  Walk; don’t strut down the red carpet. 2.      Have a positive attitude.  Even if you don’t feel like it inside, hold your head up high, smile, extend your hand, and generate energy as you walk.  Besides, a positive attitude is contagious.  Leave the baggage at home; there is no place for it on the red carpet. 3.      Dress with confidence.  Do your clothes match the professional image you want to present?   It is a fact that you are judged by others on your appearance. People will pay more attention to you when you dress appropriately for your business.   Save the bling-bling and flashy extras for dress-up. 4.      Maintain grace and dignity under pressure.  Yes, life can be stressful at times and you get knocked off the red carpet (or the balance beam).  It can and does happen.  How you handle your falls says a lot about your character.  Remember that others are watching as you stumble or rise to the occasion.    Once you’ve completed your walk on the red carpet, you enter the auditorium and take your seat.  The awards are given.  How will you react?  Three points to remember are:   Be grateful.   It is counter-productive to focus on your lack.  The law of attraction says that the more you appreciate what you do have, the more you will attract into your life, and the more you will have to be grateful for.  Be grateful for all you do have on your red carpet. Acknowledge your supporting team.  They give you encouragement, praise, feedback, and support.  They share your victories and your defeats.  Appreciate them as you walk side by side on the red carpet.  Even if you lose, you’re still a winner.  Do not get sucked into the “poor me” mentality. You are successful in your own right.  Maintain a victor attitude as you continue your walk.   Your patients, customers, employees, friends, family, peers, and others are watching you on the red carpet. Your persona is on parade.  What vibes are you sending?        You are also teaching others how to treat you when you walk your red carpet of life.  When you find yourself being taken advantage of, ignored, or mistreated, you must stop and ask yourself what role you play in allowing this behavior. What are your actions, words, or even silence saying to others?   Read the rest of the story “Teach Others How to Treat You” in the current issue of the Woman Dentist Journal.  You don’t have to be a dentist to receive the message. Click here.       I just watched a bit of the Oscars the other night.  My eyes were closing early since John and I were up at 4:30 am to catch our flight home from Tampa.   We had a great visit with Valerie and enjoyed the warm weather and sunny skies.  We spent Saturday at Tarpon Springs, central Florida’s Greektown and home of the sponge docks.  It’s a great place to people watch.   You see, I love to watch people as they walk their red carpet.  It is fun to guess about them – who they are, what they do for a living, where they are going, who they are with, etc.  It’s like solving a mystery.  I want to know their story, but I can also be fascinated by the one I make up about them.    I’m sure there are people out there who are people watching me.  So I remember the checklists above as I walk my red carpet.   Have a fantastic week as you walk your red carpet.   Stephanie     We grow by "word-of-email" so please feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone whom you think might benefit from and enjoy it. Thanks so much! Contact Us: stephanie@7steps2abalancedlife.com