This character quality deserves a little research as it is one I strive to attain the most. It is one of my favorites. As a wife, mother and now grandmother, this is one of the words that I want my family to remember me as having. I have some work to do, but I’m a work in progress. Aren’t we all?
What is poise?
Have you ever met someone who is just “pulled together?” They have it all—self-assurance, confidence and polish. They are graceful. They have composure. They are full of gratitude. Jaqueline Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly and Princess Diana come to mind when I think of someone with poise. The person of poise has a certain presence. You notice them when they walk into a room. They look elegant without much effort. They are calm and collected, even in not so calm situations. They are not overly excited or dramatic.
Poised people are well groomed. Their hair is styled. They aren’t overly perfumed. They know how to walk. Their posture is exquisite. I’m sure they must have taken ballet classes. Their movements just seem to flow. They never look rushed.
People with poise are not arrogant, they are confident. They know who they are and whose they are. They are loved and a child of God. They know what they believe. They are elegant. They have class. I’m not talking about wealth of money but wealth of self. They are content with life and with themselves. They are self-assured.
There is an elderly lady, from my church who exemplifies poise. She comes to church every Sunday in her best Sunday clothes. She always wears a beautiful suit and a chic hat and sometimes even the little white gloves. She is so reverent. She has volunteered at the church every day for 35 years to take care and replace all the candles that people light. This is not a glamorous task by any means, but she made it seem effortless. And she never slacked on her job. The glass candle globes always looked immaculately clean. She maintained the candles everyday for 35 years! That is poise, my friends. I recently had to take over the job because her health was in decline and I will tell you that I couldn’t keep up with it! I had to ask for some help. My globes aren’t as sparkly clean all the time as hers were. It is tedious to scrape all that extra wax from those votive cups. She took pride in the job she did, and she did it very well.
Poise doesn’t happen overnight. It is something you grow into. It is an ongoing stage of personal development. But how do you get started? Start with a little research. You work on your physical appearance. You increase your confidence and self-esteem. Work on your mental and spiritual health. Gain life experiences. Practice gratefulness.
One of the easiest ways to start is by improving your posture. Sit up straight. Shoulders back. Take a walk around the room with some books on your head. Improve your balance. Learn how to walk gracefully. (They used to teach girls how to walk in school back in the day!)
Do you have poise? Is it something you wish you had? It’s attainable. You just have to do a little personal development. Find some ways that you can incorporate confidence and poise into your day. Take on some new habits for the next 21 days. Schedule it in your planner. Take care of yourself. You are worth it.
God bless.—Barb
