One of my
grandchildren's favorite games was to dress
up. My wife and I one year stocked up on
Halloween costumes when they went on sale right after Halloween. That kept them going for some time. Dress up is fun and good for the
imagination. But what about when you
really must live the role you are going for?
That is when the costume becomes a uniform and a uniform means business.
Uniforms come in all shapes and designs. For the business person, it can be a man or
women's suite, for the cook, it is their
jacket and hat, for the first responder it would be the uniform of whatever
department they were in. Uniforms help
us to know what a person does, they bring with them a degree of respect. When you see a person in a uniform you know
what they do and you expect certain behaviors from them.
Uniforms do something more as
well, they make the person wearing them
feel their job. When you are dressed to
do work, no matter what that work is, you feel more confident and
prepared. Your uniform gives you a
feeling of authority and skill. People
who dress for their jobs do better, feel better and look better. Those who wear anything they feel like to the
office do not do their best. Studies
have found that office workers, like students, who dress down perform at a
lower level than their fellow workers who dress in a professional manner.
“A costume is something you put on and pretend that you are what you
are wearing. A uniform, on the other
hand, reminds you that you are, in fact, what you wear.”
– Eunice McGarrahan
Presbyterian
Clergy
We have seen that once dress
codes were removed from schools, students grade averages went down. When you dress to achieve, you do better than
those who do not. Simple fact. Being dress for the job we are doing affects
us emotionally and physically. This is
the reason the standards are so high for those in the military, first
responders, medical professionals and of course, Scouts.
Boy Scout founder, Sir Robert
Baden-Powell, believed that the uniform gave a boy the sense of discipline,
responsibility, and belonging. The
importance of the Scout uniform was not just for the boy, but also for the
leader who set the example. Baden-Powell said, “Show me a poorly uniformed
Troop and I’ll show you a poorly uniformed leader.”
Success-minded people know that
to do their best they must look their best.
This does not mean that you wear formal attire
every day, but it does mean you are clean, neat and look professional. By taking the time and effort to look
professional, you will feel better, people will treat you as a professional and
you will have the confidence to be the best at what you do. It does not take a lot of work but it has a
whole lot of benefits.
You matter! You matter to the
world and to yourself. Remember to be your
best, love God, have good manners, achieve the unknown and change your world.
Scouting Out of Uniform
is a personal blog based on the lessons learned from Scouting that relate to
personal development and success principles and is not an official site of The
Boy Scouts of America. John Patrick Hickey does not represent or speak for the
Scouting program, however, he does completely support and encourages Scouting
for both young and old. 
John Patrick Hickey is an author, speaker, Personal Development Coach and
proud Scouter. To read more from John Patrick Hickey or to get his books,
training and book him to speak to your church, business or group, visit our
website at www.johnpatrickhickey.com. © 2018 John Patrick Hickey
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