Command Respect, Not Demand It.

At first I was going to write this post about learning how to "not care," or my take on what not caring really means. As I was doing some research I came upon an article which talks about how leaders are good at what they do. Real leaders are able to indirectly command respect from others around them because they possess innate and obtained skills which allow them to stand out amongst the rest and be a positive influence.

Now you may ask, what are these skills leaders possess to hold them in such high esteem? The article written by Christine W. Zust from EmergingLeader.com states the following topics: Walk the Talk,
Influence; Don't Manipulate, Include; Don't Exclude, Participate Equally and Openly, Back up Opinions with Facts, and Get a Real Image.

After reading this article, I re-read it. After re-reading it, what really hit me was the last point: Get a Real Image. Many of us put on different images for different types of people. Some act a certain way at work versus how they act at home or whatever. Having this type of routine only splits up our personality. Sooner or later, these different personalities clash inside of us. It creates a disruption and this disruption shoves people away by our behaviors. I've seen this happen to others and with myself.

In a sense, having that real image does sort of tie in with the no caring attitude. We can't be afraid to be ourselves with whoever we engage with. We can't be fearful of what we might say or do because what we say and do is what makes us who we are. Being who you are all the time is being genuine, unique, and a leader.

So my friends, if you wish to gain respect from your friends and strangers, don't be afraid to be you. Command respect by being the best you you can be and don't care about the thoughts of others. Be your own leader.

Make sure to check out Christine's article in the link above!

Do You Know Where Your World Comes From?

This has been bugging me for quite some time now. I notice it all the time and it has been increasing gradually everyday. I hear it on the radio, see it on television, and watch it in everyday life between the interactions with the various people I encounter. What I am noticing is the ever growing comparison of people's lives and knowledge to negative influences of popular culture and mass media sources.

Our paradigms, or worldview, are shaped from the time we exit from the womb. Every experience, every interaction, every bit of everything influences our sense of self and our sense of the world. However, there is a critical point in our life where outside influences don't hit you "as much" as they would. This point, to some people, is when you reach a level of adulthood. So outside influences must get you when you're most vulnerable, as children.

I work at a high school where many ideologies are formed and burned into the consciousness of your everyday citizen. High school, mainly, structures you for what you will be as you grow into a law-abiding citizen. However, as I stroll the hallways performing my duties, I notice the conversations between today's youth and it completely astounds me what they do in their lives, how they portray themselves to the world, and how they treat people.


Like I said before, most of our morals, ethics, and identity come from our day to day influences. So where are your kids getting their influences from? Many things influence them; yet some, in my opinion, should not taken lightly such as the radio and television.

Radio and television are sources where pop culture is displayed. What pop culture teaches us that in order to fit in with the "crowd", you must look like this, act like this, behave like this, but mainly THINK like this. Pop culture wants you to think they way they want you to think. Why? Nobody will ever know the real answer to that, unless you're the driver of the pop culture train.

So take this into account with your life. Do you watch a lot of television? Do you listen to a lot of radio stations? But most importantly, do you get most of what you believe to be real from these sources? Really think about what you find to be "real" and see whether or not they compare to what you listen and hear. You might surprise yourself.