Be a Class Act

Jack Canfield's Success Principle #55

A successful person acts with class and attracts other people who also have class into his sphere of influence. In today's society of mediocrity, it's becoming increasingly difficult to pinpoint individuals such as these.

What does it mean to be a class act?
Jack names Jimmy Stewart, Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Nelson Mandela, and Winston Churchill as examples of class acts. They rose above their fears to create their own unique worlds of expanding awareness, creativity, and accomplishment.

For Joe and me, Christian minister Bob Russell has served as a model of class. He was the lead pastor at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky when Joe was attending seminary. On any given weekend, the church held nearly 20,000 people during its numerous services.

On Easter Sunday one year, I was in a wheelchair following an episode of paralysis. We decided to leave the back of the sanctuary during the last song to avoid the difficulty of maneuvering through the crowds.

Bob Russell met us in the hallway and asked what was wrong. I told him that doctors had no idea what had caused the paralysis, and Bob offered to pray for me. I was dumbstruck that this man who was responsible for leading such a huge church would take the time to kneel down before me to ask God to intervene on my behalf.

There are two reasons, I believe, that Bob Russell has risen to such a high level of success. First, he has always expected excellence out of himself and everyone who works with him. This expectation stems from his intense love for God and his belief that God deserves our best. Second, Bob has never let success go to his head. Every time I meet him, I feel equally important to anyone else in the crowd. He is truly a class act.

Follow the ten attributes of people who are class acts.
Jack shared a list of attributes that characterize a class act. Life coach Dan Sullivan created the list, as follows:

1) Live by your own highest standards.
Class acts live by higher standards than those of most people in conventional society. Their goals are consciously chosen and applied.

I have been writing about these success principles for months, and I hope that it has inspired you, dear reader, to apply them to your own life. Without high standards, we merely become one more mediocre individual in the great cattle herd of society.

2) Maintain dignity and grace under pressure.
People who are classy do not become perturbed when chaos ensues. They remain so calm that it gives others courage. They are so certain that God will work all things out for the good of those who love him that they are capable of leading others with ease.

Joe exhibits this type of grace under pressure. Years ago, I injured my leg, and he had to take me to the emergency room. On the way there, the hospital paged him to help a family deal with an unexpected death. While I lay on a gurney in one cubicle, I could see Joe calmly talking to the hysterical wife of the deceased man and her teenage daughter, who was lying on the floor and screaming. Joe's quiet spirit provided strength to everyone on staff who was trying to deal with the situation.

3) Focus and improve the behavior of others.
Class acts are excellent role models. Their higher standards of thinking and behaving begin to make an impact on others. Under their leadership, people improve their own acts.

Whenever Joe is faced with a difficult situation, I frequently ask him how Bob Russell would handle it. Remembering Bob's expectations of excellence helps Joe to make decisions that most conventional people would not.

4) Operate from a larger, inclusive perspective.
This is a modern-day version of Jesus' new testament commandments from Mark 12:30-31 (NIV): Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength...Love your neighbor as yourself.

5) Increase the quality of every experience.
People with class look for ways to enrich the lives of others. They do this by introducing greater beauty and significance into every experience.

My Aunt Marjorie certainly was a class act in this regard. As a teen, I cut her grass weekly. Whenever my work was done, I found a beautiful luncheon laid out for me in her dining room. She served me as if I were a visiting dignitary; the table was set with freshly starched linens, fine china, sterling silver, and sparkling crystal. She had the ability to turn a simple meal into a beautiful and significant experience.

6) Counteract meanness, pettiness, and vulgarity.
We are surrounded by mean, petty, vulgar people in our society. With the invention of television, we can now view them regularly in our own living rooms. Class acts counteract these negative qualities with courtesy, respect, gratitude, and generosity.

Our brains will model what we see the most. If we are surrounded by crass people--either in our daily walks or through what we view on TV--we will eventually become like they are. I refuse to watch TV, because I don't want to ever become like most of the characters depicted on the screen. I want to be a class act.

7) Take responsibility for actions and results.
People with class accept responsibility for their actions when most other people would hide from the truth. They see failures as opportunities to do better the next time.

As survivors of abuse, we frequently become defensive if someone points out an error we have made. Our minds have become so well programmed to expect futher punishment for mistakes, that we automatically lash out when corrected.

Unfortunately, our defensiveness often prevents us from reaching the levels of success we desire. To become people of class, we must first learn to accept the truth about our actions. Only after doing so, can we look for ways to improve ourselves.

8) Strengthen the integrity of all situations.
If we want to become class acts, we must constantly strive to grow by setting clear goals that stretch our current abilities. Creating a list of goals, along with action steps to meet them, is a must.

9) Expand the meaning of being human.
People with class do not confine themselves to old ways of thinking and doing things. They push the envelope and expect more of themselves. This provides them with the freedom to do what God sent them here to accomplish. By living so freely, they set an example for others to do the same.

Survivors of incest often live by old rules of silence and shame. I have frequently made others in my family uncomfortable and angry by speaking out about the ugly truth of childhood sexual abuse. Those who cling to the old ways struggle with their ways of coping. Some, however, have found freedom in expressing their pain as a result of my speaking the truth.

10) Increase the confidence and capabilities of others.
By acting with class, we inspire others. Whenever we enter a room, other people feel an increase in their energy, and their confidence increases. By choosing our governing ideals and sticking with them, we can help others to create ways to grow, too.

Like attracts like.
If we make the decision to live by a higher set of standards, we will attract people of similar dispositions. Like attracts like.

Recently, someone showed me an internet video of a woman sitting on a toilet, presumably in the act of using it. Throughout the entire thing, she kept repeating stupidly, "Sittin on da towlet." It was the most base thing I have ever viewed.

I immediately thought of Bob Russell and wondered what he would have to say about such classless behavior. He certainly wouldn't be forwarding it to his friends. If we want to be a class act, we must be careful about what we attract.

Today's Challenge
In order to be a class act, we must look around at the friends, coworkers, partners, and clients that we are attracting. Are they class acts? If not, make the decision today to re-design yourself as a class act. Do everything better. Raise the quality of your attitude and actions to discover what type of people you begin attracting.

Jack Canfield, America's #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul© and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com