Copyright 2005 Paul Sanford

You have seen them on television your entire life: the world leaders, the movie stars, and yes, even the infomercial darlings! These people almost seem incapable of self-doubt as their undeniable confidence exudes from their every pore, almost mesmerizing their audience. They are literally capable of convincing listeners to buy products they don’t really need, support causes without question, and follow when one would rather lead. What is their secret? How are they able to do what you or I could only dream of doing, and do it with such ease?

A rare personal quality attributed to leaders who arouse fervent popular devotion and enthusiasm; a personal magnetism or charm.

This is how the dictionary defines charisma and it was precisely what all of those people you see on television have in abundance. Still, it really is not the best of definitions because lacking is a clear-cut answer as to what precisely it, this charisma, really is. The ability to influence the opinions and actions of others is a truly exciting and powerful thing, is it not? Who would not want to have such power? Where would our lives be today had we been born with charisma like all those people we see on the television screen every night? Would we not be an entirely different person had we?

But, just consider this: What if charisma isn’t merely something we are or are not born with? If one really thinks about it, isn’t charisma just an abundance of self-confidence without all the baggage that comes with self-doubt, which to some degree we all must contend with in our lives? If that were true, then much like math or how to drive, charisma would not be some mystical power but rather something that could be learned given the right instruction! With enough practice, you or I could easily exude the very confidence we see in leaders and news anchors—we, too, could influence other people to do as we deemed fit! Think of the possibilities! Who could you be and how dramatically could the course of your life be altered if you had the self-confidence to direct or at least strongly influence the actions of those around you? The possibilities positively abound, don’t they? Our daydreams, once confined to our imaginations, could in fact become reality with charisma! The difference between the life we want and the one we live boils down to just one thing: learning how to develop and harness our own inner-charisma and using it to make our dreams into anything we desire of them! So stop believing that charisma is some rare gift born unto some lucky few and start learning how to unlock that which is already inside of you! You and I both have it, we just need to learn how to develop this thing called charisma!