Prince Charming.

Charm and confidence, and why they get you everywhere in life.

It’s true, try it sometime. Smile too much and people start to ask questions. The problem is that there is too much pessimism in this world. Sure, there are wars going on, people starving, global warming- WHATEVER. If you let shit like that affect your personal life, you should probably be in the Peace Corps and/or Greenpeace. If you aren’t, and if you don’t plan on joining- give up and be happy, look on the bright side for once. People call me a sweet talker, or even a schmoozer, man I hate that word. Car salesman are schmoozers, they don’t care what they say, as long as they make a sale. I on the other hand, try to make people smile because it is contagious. Especially in my job, I am dealing with people who just got in car accidents. Imagine the demeanor of the people not at fault; and that’s something I have to work past? It’s not easy, but I have a skill. Charm, it must be an Italian thing naturally, my Pops taught me well. Charm will get you lots and lots of places, but it’s hard to be charming without having confidence to back it up. Believe in yourself, that’s most important. Once you believe in yourself, you can believe in everything you say. Don’t lie, that isn’t part of charm, that’s not even schmoozing; that’s just sleazy. And most people also come with a pre-installed bullshit detector. While there may be a thin line between charm and sleaze, it isn’t too hard to tell if people are being genuine, or just blowing smoke up your ass and hoping they benefit. There is also a very, very thin line between confidence and cockiness. VERY THIN, believe me, it is a line I walk constantly. The other problem with this, is that it is way harder to tell the difference between the two. If I had a penny for everytime I was called cocky, I would have thousands of pennies. And if I had a penny for every cliché I write, I would have at least a few pennies. It is easily misconceived that my confidence is cocky, because I am also a master of sarcasm. So much so, it can be undetectable; a gift and a curse, I tell you. There goes another penny. My explanation of confident vs. cocky is as follows: a confident person will say “thank you” when you say he or she is the best. It is considered a compliment. A cocky person will say “I know” when you say the same. It is something he or she has already verified and probably says on a daily basis. There is nothing wrong with being extra confident, if you have a reason. Hell, even if you don’t, fake it until you make it. One more penny, thank you. But there is nothing worse than being cocky, except being cocky and sleazy. If you want something to ground you, always remember, no matter how good you are at any one thing, or any group of things, there is definitely someone out there that is way better. Probably a few someones, actually. Don’t let that get you down, use it as motivation, but also a way to keep your damn ego in check. Though I think I am the best thumb wrestler in the entire world, I am sure there is someone deep in Malaysia that has 2 thumbs on one hand with 13 joints that makes a living off kicking everyone’s ass in a thumb war. And I await the day I can meet this man, but until then, I will just have to keep training.

Wasn’t I supposed to have a point? Learn the boundaries between these aforementioned qualities, and use them to your advantage. On a daily basis, damnit. Make people smile, make people laugh, make people like you, and it will always pay off in the long run. Because you never know who does what and how it could come along in your life, somehow randomly. It’s always better to have someone like you, than to have them hate you. And it is way better to make someone like you than to convince someone to stop hating you. Confidence is the only way to get a job, even one you may be under-qualified for. Confidence and charm will help you get a date with someone, probably out of “your league”. Try it out, I guarantee immediate results. Because the more you walk around with your head held high, smiling, the more people wonder why. And the curiosity will help you to no end.