The Unforgettable You!

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Published by Rachelle Disbennett-Lee
Wednesday, December 5, 2001
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There have been several people in my life that stand out as unforgettable. It wasn't because of their looks, their ability, or their intellect. It was much more than that. They were unforgettable because they had personality. According to my Funk & Wagnalls Standard Desk Dictionary personality refers to:

Distinctive qualities or characteristics of a person. 2. A person of outstanding or distinctive qualities.

Personality combines all that we are into a distinct package. It goes beyond our looks, our talents or our intellect to create a unique arrangement of who we are. Personality is the entire presentation of the unique person that we are.

Everyone has personality. It is those who have created their own unique presentation and weave in their authentic self that creates a lasting impression. People who are unforgettable have "it". "It" can be very difficult to define or name. We just know when we meet someone that is different. We might describe someone that is unforgettable as being charismatic, interesting, or gracious. Whatever we call it, we know when we have met someone that has it.

So how do we get "it"? Easy, you already have "it". What "it" is lives inside of you. "It" is the unique person that you are. When we are willing to be ourselves, others notice. There is something about someone who is "real" and willing to be all that they are. A person who is truly being his or her self is a complex interesting person. They have a lot to offer and share with others in a compassionate supportive way. There is nothing boastful or egotistical about someone who is being authentically who they are. It simply is compelling and attractive.

All my life I have been told I am unforgettable. People I have only met briefly will come up to me years later and remember who I am and tell me that they would never forget meeting me. I have had people introduce me as unforgettable. People will say once you meet Rachelle you will never forget her. This wasn't always a compliment. Being different isn't always seen as a positive. Standing out can be threatening to others. In a society where fitting in is important, being viewed as different can be a negative. It takes strength and resilience to be willing to be yourself.

What I have discovered is that being myself is the only way that I can live and be truly happy. I have tried to fit in. The funny thing is the more I tried to fit in the more I stuck out. I just don't know how to do it. So I stopped trying and simply got comfortable with who I am. When I turned my attention inward and began working on myself, I became comfortable with being different. Because I am comfortable with myself, others seem more comfortable with me also. I still get people who want me to fit into some type of mold. I have finally grown to realize that people like that have issues that have nothing to do with me. People who are uncomfortable with their selves are uncomfortable with people who are OK with being authentic.

Coaching

Being unforgettable is a simple thing to do. All you have to do is be yourself. Now, I said simple, I did not say easy. Being ourselves has, for me, been the most difficult thing in the world to achieve. It takes the willingness to risk not being liked and not fitting in, two things that, by nature, humans are driven to achieve. Once we discover that it is too difficult and painful to be someone we are not, we can grow into the person we were meant to be. Discovering who we are is a lifetime process. We are complex human beings and the more we discover about ourselves the more we realize how much more there is to discover.

Are you ready to be unforgettable?

Daily Success Formula

Unforgettable = Being yourself

Quotes

"A true "personality" . . . is like a robust organism that, with unconscious sureness, seeks out and digests the nourishment appropriate to it and vigorously rejects that which is unsuitable." Gustav Mahler

"An individual's self-concept is the core of his personality. It affects every aspect of human behavior: the ability to learn, the capacity to grow and change. A strong, positive self-image is the best possible preparation for success in life." Joyce Brothers

"Humility is no substitute for a good personality." Fran Lebowitz