Cool, calm, and collected

My wife was watching The Dog Whisperer on TV this morning. If you haven't seen the show, dog trainer Cesar Millan finds cases of extreme dog behavior (aggression, fear, sadness, etc.) and trains the dog and the owner to improve that behavior.

The one thing that Cesar always stresses is how the owner approaches the dog, because the dog can sense feelings and emotions. If the owner is frantic, nervous, scared, or any other feeling, the dog will know and act accordingly. The owner's poor state of mind will exacerbate the dog's poor behavior.

Cesar always approaches the dogs with a cool confidence. He is always in control of the situation and addresses the dogs in the same manner regardless of whether the dog is barking with aggression or cowering with fear.

I think the same approach can apply to humans.

If you're cool and calm, others can feel that state of mind and will be at ease. If you're energetic and lively, others can feed off your energy.

On the other hand, if you're always frantic, others may not feel comfortable around you. If you're nervous in some situations, it may rub off on those around you.

I also believe that addressing different situations with a similar even-tempered attitude, like Cesar does, is helpful as well.

A meeting with your CEO is sure to conjure up more nerves than a lunch with your brother or sister. But if you approach the meeting with a similar confidence and calmness, you're more likely to impress.

I understand that everyone has different personalities, and may have varying approaches to different situations. But if you are cognizant of your state of mind, keep your emotions in check, and stay cool, calm, collected, and confident, you can be the "whisperer" of any situation you face.

I hope you found this interesting! If so, please share this article with the share buttons on the left. Then sign up for my email list below and connect with me on Twitter for future updates. And check out my podcast at GoandGrowPodcast.com!

This is day 34 of my experiment to blog for 30 consecutive days.