Do you want
to stand out in the crowd? Make a name for yourself? Get noticed? Let's face
it, just about everybody loves attention, and getting noticed can have real
benefits: getting that girl (or guy)
you're interested in, getting a job, or even becoming a star, for example. Why, then,
does "proper" society tend to frown on drawing attention to oneself?
Put simply, not all attention is equal, and people who try to draw attention to
themselves often do it in unpleasant ways--think of a screaming toddler, for instance.
While certain showbiz types like to say that any publicity is good publicity,
you'll generally only benefit from positive attention, and drawing that kind of
attention to yourself requires a little patience, thought and tact.
Think
of when they think of you, and it requires time and consistency to build a
brand. Say you're
at a new school and you want to make friends. Your brand then, should include
characteristics like loyalty, friendliness, and fun. Do things that build this
brand and make you a more appealing potential friend. Other examples of brands
include the "bad-boy image." Be careful, though, or you'll look like
you're trying too hard.
Be
outstanding.
When we think of the word "outstanding," we usually think of
excellence, but being outstanding also means to "stand out." If you
want to stand out, do your best to be the best at something. If you want to
draw the attention of your spouse, for example, be the best husband
or wife
you can be. If you want to get a better job, be extraordinarily competent in
your current job and seek to learn more to advance your career. You don't
always have to be outstanding at something that's directly related to your
goal. For example, you'll find that people who are very successful in whatever
pursuit they choose in life often draw the attention of, or date, beautiful
women or good-looking guys, even if their particular field of excellence has
nothing to do with being a good mate. If you're outstanding at something, just
about anything, you'll draw people's attention.
Be
subtle. A patient, subtle approach is important
in developing your image because if you look like you're trying too hard to
draw attention, you'll simply end up branding yourself as someone who craves
attention, which is generally not a desirable attribute. As an example, imagine
you want to get attention in order to make friends. If you stand on your head
and insult people, you'll likely get attention for a little while, but you
probably won't make friends--everybody will know you're just desperate for
attention. On the other hand, if you draw attention to yourself by wearing a
smile, making a conversation with people, or joining a
sports team, you'll build a more positive brand and get more attention in the
long run.
Be humble.
Be outstanding, be confident, be assertive,
but don't be arrogant. Even if you truly excel at just about everything, people
will try to tune you out--or even resent you--if you are a jerk. Don't tell
people how awesome you are, show them, and don't make a big deal out of it.
Don't blow your own horn too much.
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