How Attractive Are You?

What makes a person attractive? I'm sure when most people think of attractive, their first thoughts lean towards the physical aspects: a certain body type, a nice smile, sparkling eyes. But we have all met people who, while very pleasing to the eyes, had such an awful personality that we found them anything but attractive. This confirms that there is much more to attraction than meets the eye.

The dictionary defines the word "attract" as follows: to arouse or compel the interest, admiration or attention. Thinking of attraction in that vein its easy to think of someone at work or church that we admire or find interesting. Perhaps its the local businessman who spends his free time coaching little league. Or maybe its the woman at church who always has a smile and a kind word. It could be your manager at work who is generous with praise and not afraid to share his secrets to success. What you'll find is all attractive people share 3 common traits.

1. Attractive people are givers. No one has ever received a reward or recognition just because of who they were. People get recognized because of what they give, either to their profession, their community, or society at large. Work on becoming someone whose focuses on giving to others. That will naturally result in others wanting to be around you.

2. Attractive people maintain a positive perspective. No one likes being around a grouch. Attractive people have a tendency to always see the glass as half full. They are able to make the best out of any situation and focus on finding solutions instead of complaining about the problem.

3. Attractive people take really good care of themselves. Its hard to be attractive when you are sick, or your schedule is crammed to capacity or you have a great deal of unfinished business in your life. Attractive people understand that if they don't take care of themselves, they won't have anything to give to other people. Its like being on an airplane and not putting your oxygen mask on first. Attractive people make their mental and physical well-being a top priority; they visit the doctor on a regular basis, effectively manage their stress load, and take time out for themselves.

Some of you may be thinking: "Exactly what does this have to do with my career growth?" I believe there is a direct correlation between how attractive you are to other people and how successful you are in your career. Who is a company more likely to hire, the candidate who was a lone shining star or the one who helped his team succeed? Who is more likely to get a promotion, the notorious complainer or the lady with the "can do" attitude?

So how attractive are you?