What do you do when no one is looking?

What is character? It’s what you do when no one is looking. Want to have a stronger character? Here’s how.

What’s all the crap about?

Have you ever been watching a movie or one of your favorite Netflix shows and suddenly thought: “I’m not buying it” Because there’s something about the story that either doesn’t add up or is just plain boring. There’s a lot of crap out there. And there is a good reason why you turn the channel or put down the novel. It’s because the characters in the story don’t make sense. 

What makes a great story?

But every now and then, you come across a great story. And it might be an old story like To Kill A Mockingbird, or a new story, like Peaky Blinders. And you might encounter the story by reading a novel or by watching a movie or a TV series. It doesn’t really matter. Because a great story is a great story. And the difference between a crappy story and a great story comes down to one main thing: are the characters believable? Because if you are paying attention, the crappy stories have characters that are not believable, while the good stories have compelling and believable characters.

Are you believable?

Which actually brings us to a somewhat sensitive issue: are you believable? Because you may have noticed that people aren’t really paying attention to you. It’s the real life version of someone changing the channel while you’re talking to them. And the reason for this could be our old friend and arch-nemesis: character. So stop and ask yourself: am I a strong, believable character? Is my character solid and well-defined? Or do I blow this way and that with the wind, so that the people I’m interacting with don’t even really know who I am?

Character happens when no one is looking.

So let’s get down to brass tacks. Please watch this brief (less than 4 minutes) clip with some compelling characters. And then come right back for today’s takeaway.

They don’t have to like you.

You may have noticed in the clip you just watched that the two main characters, Tommy Shelby and his Aunt Polly, are not perhaps very likable characters. But they are strong characters, wouldn’t you agree? And they are doing some private business, when no one is looking, with some shady characters (the nuns who were abusing the children under their care). Wouldn’t you agree that the nuns found Tommy and Polly believable and compelling characters? And you don’t have to be a bad guy to do good work. But — what would you like to do today to strengthen your character? 

Read more.

I can help you strengthen your character. And you have a couple of options for your next step. You could contact me and describe what you’re going through. And I’ll be in touch with suggestions. Or you can book a free session to make a time to get together and talk it over in person. Either way, I’m here to help you focus, overcome resistance, and get moving again.