Power Play: Recreating Yourself
by Michael A. Thomas

So you say you want to change? You’ve looked at yourself in the mirror and don’t want to see that weak person anymore. Maybe the position you want at work requires you to make some personality changes. Or maybe you’re just really tired of the same old routine, and getting no results. Whatever you reason is, I applaud. Acknowledgment of the desire to change is a major step that most people are afraid to do.

This moment of clarity will help you immensely in your rise with power. To begin the process, you must be able to see yourself from an outside perspective. That means, being able to control your emotions and appearance, and mold them into what is needed for your new self.

A good way to think about this concept is when a seasoned actor gets into character. They study the personality of the character; appearance, mannerisms, and other key factors to display that character for the audience.

You’ll be doing much of the same thing, but unlike an actor, you will become that new character.

The next step is to refine your new character to garner attention; one that stands out from the crowd. Make your gestures and action a little more dramatic. Allow things to unfold slowly, only speeding things up as necessary. The key is, to have a pattern and rhythm that set by you.

Remember, you do not have to accept the roles that mainstream society gives you. You can build a new identity. Life is a big stage, where you are the main character. Keep your audience intrigued by re-creating yourself.

The character you seem to have been born with is not necessarily who you are; beyond the characteristics you have inherited, your parents, your friends, and your peers have helped to shape your personality…The Promethean task of the powerful is to take control of the process, to stop allowing others that ability to limit and mold them. Remake yourself into a character of power. Working on yourself like clay should be one of your greatest and most pleasurable life tasks. It makes you in essence an artist, an artist creating yourself.

~Robert Greene, The 48 Laws of Power