My Biggest Asset

I feel that my most valuable asset at this point is my older look. When people are asked to guess my age, the most common integer that pops up is 24. Some, 26. To tease me, 30. I think that my serious demeanour, along with my clothing style (slacks and collared shirt) contributed to that factor.

So how does looking old work to my advantage? In my experience in public speaking, looking older has increased my credibility. This is important as no one wants to listen to a speaker who doesn't mean what he says. Even more so when I speak to people who are older than me. A matured-looking person can easily command more authority than a boyish looking one.

In my upcoming camp, I'll be giving a talk on Buddhist leadership. I have not much idea on the content, and I'll also be speaking to an audience whose average age is higher than mine. This is where my image plays such an important role.

Obviously, I hope this trend reverses in the future, so that I'll look like 30 when I'm 50.