10 Things Really Powerful People Do Differently

Throughout my life, I’ve managed to meet and stay in touch with a good number of individuals who are believed to be powerful. What exactly makes someone powerful? Basically, other people believing you are powerful makes you powerful. Power itself isn’t so much created as it is bestowed upon by those we interact with. The more people believe you to have worth and value, the more power you have.

There are, however, certain life characteristics that increase the likelihood of one being viewed as powerful. People often think a powerful person is powerful because he or she has the ability to influence the decisions of others. While that is true to an extent, the truth is, the only reason they are able to influence others is that others believe them to be powerful to begin with.

Therefore, power is just as much a result as it is a cause. So where does it originate? You. In the way you think, the way you perceive the world, the way you address issues and address others, the things you do -- the way that you live your life. Powerful individuals all have certain beliefs and certain ways of doing things. Here are a few of them:

1. They aren’t unclear on what they want; they’re single-minded.

Powerful people know the life they want to live and then they go live it. They don’t allow themselves to get caught up and lost in the everyday nonsense that throws the commoner off course. They have one existence and they focus on living that single existence exactly the way they wish to live it. They are single-minded; they focus on one reality and one reality only.

2. They have friends, but they don’t hang out very often.

Friends are great, until they become the burden holding us back from our fullest potential and our happiest life. Human beings do need social interaction, but nowhere near as much as most individuals participate in on the regular. Powerful individuals only hang out with their friends when hanging out with their friends is what they believe to be the best possible decision. When there are better, more responsible or more reasonable options, they choose them, instead.

3. They are goal-oriented and they don’t aim low.

To them, everything in life has a purpose, a reason for being. They understand the world and existence to all be parts of chain reactions. They believe that in order to get something, something else must tip that first domino in the chain.

Powerful individuals know what they want and know better than to aim low. They understand that the higher you aim, the better – shooting for the starts will, at the very least, land you on the moon. They aim and then they fire, doing all in their power to guarantee their desired end result.

4. They use their power, but they don’t abuse their power.

With power comes social responsibility. Abiding by ethical standards will only add power to the individual, and the most powerful of the powerful understand this well.

In the times we live in now, social, environmental and economical responsibility is expected of those who are most powerful – those we dub leaders. Powerful individuals always lead, if only by example as a result of all the admiration they receive. If public opinion changes for the worse, your power as an individual decreases. Welcome to modern-day politics.

5. They always keep their physical health in mind.

Although, they don’t obsess over it. In order to perform well, you need to be well. Being healthy allows both body and mind to function better, quicker and more creatively. Because the hours in a day are set in stone, tradeoffs do need to be made -- we can only do so much in a day. For this reason, trading off health for work productivity is usually the result amongst most individuals.

This tradeoff is acceptable if and only if the end result is most efficient. Usually what happens is that our productivity suffers for lack of health. Powerful individuals make sure to keep a respectable balance.

6. They love efficiency and hate participating in things that have no benefit.

Powerful people only do things with purpose. They avoid doing things that are wasteful and avoid participating in things of no benefit to them, whatsoever. They especially stay clear of things likely to hurt them. They have a clear understanding of the difference between what they want and what they need out of life and make sure only to give into their wants when their needs are well-maintained.

7. They know themselves completely, but don’t share this knowledge freely.

Powerful individuals do keep secrets. Knowledge is power because it gives others something to use against them. The more people know about you, the more likely they are find a weakness; we all have weaknesses. But there is no reason to flaunt them. Powerful individuals are well aware of how others perceive them and do their best to guide what is perceived in the way they see fit.

8. They take calculated risks.

People admire those who take risks and come out victors. Such individuals are believed to have hold of some information or some knowledge that has seemingly eluded the rest of the population. They are able to achieve things that others aren’t. What the common man doesn’t consider is the fact that these individuals take more risks than the average person. The risks are very well-calculated, but they are risks, nonetheless.

9. They are egocentric, but they aren’t egotistical.

The life of powerful individuals is consumed by their egos. They focus on themselves and basically only themselves – to a certain extent. However, they do understand they have their weaknesses and understand there is always room for growth and improvement. They stay as humble as they can and do what they can to help those in need -- partially in order to keep up appearances, and partially because they feel the need to give back to the world.

10. They understand what has little or no significance and they don’t allow for hollow space in their lives.

Powerful individuals live a life they design from scratch. Every little aspect they can have control over, they have control over. They design their lives from the things they do, the things they own, those they interact with and keep around, to the things they avoid entirely. Life isn’t only about filling the spaces of our lives; it’s also about leaving out those things that taint the whole.

Your life will be better if you cut certain things out of it -- those things that, in reality, are pointless, hopeless and useless. Nothing – as in nothingness itself – has more value than that which doesn’t give, but only takes away.

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