Have Dignity
I’ve spent years watching successful people, and I don’t just
mean successful as in having lots of money or a big-shot
career. In fact, one of the most successful people I ever met
lived incredibly frugally, simply, and reclusively and yet had
cracked success in a really big way—happiness, peace, con-
tentment. This was a person you couldn’t have wiped the
inner smile off even if you had tried.
Almost all successful people have a sense of their own dignity.
Now what do I mean by this? Well, they are all pretty solid in
themselves; they have worked out who they are and what they
are about. They don’t need to show off or brag about what
they have or who they are. They don’t need to draw attention
to themselves because they aren’t particularly interested in
what we think—they are too busy getting on with things in
their own lives. They maintain decorum (lovely old-fashioned
word) not because they are frightened of making a fool of
themselves or falling flat on their face but because they simply
can’t be bothered with attention-seeking stuff.
It is important—if you want to be a successful Rules Player—
to show poise and gravitas, be a bit separate from the herd,
have good manners, be polite and considerate, and be some-
one others might like to look up to. You don’t have to be all
aloof and stand-offish, serious and grown-up. You can still
have fun—just don’t go making an idiot of yourself. You can
still let your hair down—just don’t let go of control com-
pletely. You can still relax—just don’t fall off the edge.