No Wet Blankets Allowed.

wet blanket (noun) - someone with no personality; serving no purpose

This past Tuesday in my Journalism 370 Media Relations and Publicity class, we reviewed everything we've learned throughout the quarter about Public Relations and how to be successful. The one item that stuck out in my mind was the idea of being personal. "It pays to be personal," as our professor, Bojinka Bishop, said. We were using this idea in the sense that journalists and others in positions to pick up PR professionals' publicity materials will respond much better if those PR people are personable and friendly, therefore increasing your chances of obtaining publicity for your client. I would like to take this advice a little further, however, and apply it to life in general.

Most people consider me to be outgoing: someone who is cheerful and friendly most of the time. Others consider my willingness to communicate freely a bit much and would never think to talk to half of the people I do on a daily basis. Whether it be because they are shy or just don't think people want to talk to them, I must contest that my friendly disposition has truly enhanced not only my relationships but also my ability to pull ahead in life's race. I consider "personal" to mean that you are making the effort to be human: displaying your personality, your current thoughts (appropriate ones, mind you) and showing depth to the life in which you lead. Being personable pays off in big ways: you're able to form stronger networks of people and you are more likely to get what you want.

When others realize that there really is a person deep down inside of you, they are more able to relate to you, making it easier for them to empathize with whatever situation you're in at that time and therefore allowing them to willingly assist you. The next time you're in a situation that requires interaction with others, let them see just a teeny bit of the real you, and I can guarantee that those individuals will be much more willing to team up on your side when the going gets rough.