How many new people do you talk to everyday?  Is striking up a conversation without being formally introduced something that makes you shudder?  Meeting new people and trying to relay to them who you are and what is important to you, in a short space of time, is pretty tricky.  How do you summarize all you believe in and all you do in a couple of sentences?  A business card can do this but people don't usually read them while they are in the process of meeting you.  Your Mission Statement might be on your web page or framed and on your wall at home.  New acquaintances don't have access to this information.  They don't know you at all.  All they know is what you are portraying to them right now.  That's right what you are wearing right now...

What you think about yourself is revealed in how you look...without you saying one word! We are visual.  We have two eyes.  We measure our responses on what we see.  We decide whether or not someone will be worth connecting with in the future.

Do you care about yourself enough?  Are you missing out on some great friendships or job roles because you believe that people should look at your heart.  The heart is indeed the most important part of who we are.  I agree.  However that heart may not be discovered if people don't see the outside matching the inside.

A good experiment to see if people really do prejudge you, is to dress up to go supermarket shopping.  Put some makeup on.  Try it and see.  The next day go to another supermarket "in more comfortable clothes" and see how you are treated.  Consider the different experiences. Decide what you would prefer.  Are you happy to be ignored at the counter or pushed in front of and feel invisible?  In the movie Pretty Woman, Julia Robert's character was treated appallingly when she was shopping for clothes in an upmarket shop.  The shop assistants assumed she didn't have money so they didn't bother serving her.  The shop assistants were on commission and they prejudged Julia and missed out on a large commission. When Julia came back all dressed up they were eager to serve her.  It had nothing to do with her heart. Point of fact you do get better service if you look like you care about yourself.

It's time to consider our expected outcomes derived from our input!