How to Appear Smarter and More Confident

     Inspired by my days as a high schooler turning into a college student (ahem, that would be this summer), I am writing a post "How to Appear Smarter and More Confident."

     It's a little goofy but a little serious. As I go through these things I've noticed in others and picked up on, I hope you will take them with a grain of salt. There are few things we need to do besides follow God's will for our lives. But these are fun and easy ways to stand out from the crowd a little.

     Sure, you may want to blend into the crowd. If that is you, then by all means, skip this post that I am slaving over for you instead of doing my homework. :) I won't be bitter at all...

     And, as always, the heartbeat of this post is growing in elegance in both person and spirit.

How to Appear Smarter and More Confident

I. Have your story details down before you tell it. If you only have fragments of the tale in your mind, you may be gossiping or just be on the verge of telling a very boring story. If it's worth telling, it's worth telling right.

II. Find your beliefs and principles (both very serious ones and silly ones), and stick to your guns. An example will serve best for this point, I think... As a matter of principle, I don't put makeup on for boys, and I don't listen to Justin Bieber's music.

III. Greet the person, not the dog. Yeah, dogs are cute-ish. But don't run up to the dog and ignore its owner. Always greet the person first as a sign of respect. Then ask if you can pet their animal. It's only right.

IV. Make eye contact. It may be awkward every now and then, but I'm not asking you to lock eyes permanently with every soul you encounter. Just look into their eyes and try to see their deeper meaning. Meeting their eyes is a sign of respect and maturity.

V. Make a point to learn and remember people's names. Even if you will never see them again. I met about two hundred people my first two weeks of college. Will I remember everyone's names? No. But did I make an effort to memorize the names of upperclassmen, girls in my hall, and people in my classes? Of course!

     And the ones I may never meet again? Well, I probably will at some point, and it won't hurt to have an idea of what letter their name starts with and where I met them. Everyone likes to be remembered. Of course, don't be shy to ask, "Remind me of your name again?"

     What are some other ways to appear smarter and more confident?

~Madeline