The Principles of Poise & Purpose
We are all capable of living with Poise and Purpose. It doesn’t matter how you grew up. It doesn’t matter how you behaved in the past. It doesn’t matter how much money you have today. It doesn’t matter what the members of your family live like. It doesn’t matter if your social circle has no interest in this subject. It doesn’t matter if other people don’t fully understand you.
What really matters is that we are all capable of finding deeper self-awareness and of refining (as opposed to ‘changing’) ourselves. You can choose to accept who you are and to trust that you can become the best version of yourself. Poise and Purpose as a way of life is an art form. It is not something we are born with. The principles can all be learned.
Here are the principles (aka The 5 C’s of P & P):
COMPASSION: This is about having deep consideration for others and letting go of any pre-conceived judgements, so that we can come to a better understanding of them and where they are coming from.
CONFIDENCE: When we are comfortable in our own skin, we feel less of a need to prove ourselves to others or to put anyone down. An easy self-possessed assurance of manner comes from humility and flexibility.
COMPOSURE: By possessing this quality, we can handle interpersonal conflicts with gracious tact. Taking a few deep breaths and connecting to our underlying sense of calm can help us shift to a non-reactive state and cope in healthier ways. Oftentimes, it’s better to listen than to speak.
CLARITY: We are clear on what our core values are and what we love in life. We can intelligently weed out the things that don’t bring us joy and say no with confidence. We can find a balance between tolerance and assertiveness and clearly articulate our points as needed.
CONTENTMENT: In a world of endless opportunities and possibilities, it is important to appreciate what we have and how far along we’ve come. Practice gratitude and moderation. Learning to savor and to be fully present can help us find contentment.
Cultivating Poise and Purpose takes time and requires some patience as you chip away slowly at what you are working towards. At the same time, this process doesn’t have to be all serious. Approach these five principles of Poise and Purpose with a sense of ease and playfulness. They should be viewed more as values than rules. I will elaborate on each of the five principles in future posts.
When you truly embody these values, you will radiate elegance and allure that is beyond skin deep and beyond measure.