The 10 Traits of Highly Desirable People Highly desirable people are successful because they build their lives from the inside out.

By Sherrie Campbell Edited by Dan Bova

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Ezra Bailey | Getty Images

Most people today live only a small shadow of the dream of who they truly desire to be. There may be have been a time in their lives where they were passionate, ambitious and adventurous, but somehow and in some way, they lost that passion, gave up too easily, or expected things to come without the hard work necessary to bring their dream to fruition. Entitlement has largely replaced passionate in people today's society. The people out there who are the most fulfilled are those who do not give up on their dreams, who welcome hard work, trust failure will a part of the process and seek to improve upon themselves each day. These highly desirable people love challenge, do not complain and get up no matter how often they fall down. These people get the jobs, the relationships and the lives they want.

1. They are real.

Highly desirable people are real. They do not hide behind a superficial persona. They live authentically as who they really are; not wasting any time or energy on having to pretend they are someone they are not. For highly desirable people it is not about making an impression, it's about being impressive. They have no desire to manipulate a perfect image of themselves in the hopes that no one will see into their real internal conflicts or insecurities. Highly desirable people accept their humanity, their insecurities and don't live trying to mask them.

2. Treat people with respect.

First and foremost, highly desirable people deeply respect themselves. They have standards of treatment they expect from others and apply those same standards in their treatment of others. Be kind to your neighbor is an important concept for them, where they are open and willing to always give people the benefit of the doubt. Highly desirable people understand how much easier life is when they treat people respectfully. Because of this quality, they attract love instead of hate, success not failure and sustaining careers in lieu of temporary jobs.

3. They love people.

Highly desirable people do not see other people as the enemy, even when those people are their competition. In a highly desirable person's mindset, competition is friendly and inspiring. Conflict is sure to happen in life and between people, but highly desirable people are able to operate with a sense of firmness backed by grace in the large majority of high stress situations. They are able to do this because, on the whole, they love people and value relationships. It is this character trait which attracts healthier relationships into their lives, making them all that much more successful.

Related: 12 Mind Tricks That Will Make People Like You and Help You Get Ahead

4. They work to make a difference.

Highly desirable people do not stay in careers they dislike or in companies where no one cares about what they offer or what they contribute. Highly desirable people have a burning desire to build, establish and grow their work into something significant in the world. They do what they love and love what they do. Their work gives them a sense of purpose. Highly desirable people are compelled in wanting to leave their mark on the world; knowing they have made a measurable and significantly positive impact. Highly desirable people feel empty without this effect in their lives. It is impossible for them to settle for the meaningless.

5. They value their support system.

Highly desirable people know that the quality of their lives resides in the supportive network of love, comradery and friendships they hold close. A life without love and support would be no life at all to these types of people. For them, love and connection come first. This thought is the foundation from which all of their hard work and success stems from. Highly desirable people embrace commitment, unconditional positive regard, supporting others and being supported by others. They hold a great appreciation for the time spent in their relationships and are never too busy to give time to those they love.

6. They are leaders.

Highly desirable people choose their own trajectory in life and career. They ignore the quick-fix-get-rich distractions and commit to their own unique journey and vision. It is not that they do not listen to the advice of others, because they do see this as useful and extremely valuable, but at the end of the day they follow their own hearts, listen to their gut instincts, knowing they will eventually reach what they have been driving towards.

Related: 15 Traits of Emotionally Wealthy People

7. They are risk takers.

For the highly desirable person it is a core belief that if there is no risk, there can be very little reward. To achieve the levels of success that are in their aspirations they know it will take great risk, and they expect to experience hardship along the way. Highly desirable people take the time to analyze their failures in order to transform them into their greatest successes. People are attracted to highly desirable people, not because of the money they make or status they acquire, but because they are good people.

8. They have a life strategy.

Highly desirable people have a life plan. They think deeply about what they want out of life and do not live haphazardly. They hold clear visions for where they want to be in ten years. They are clear, while remaining open to new ideas which can enhance and maybe even change the direction of their plan, but regardless, highly desirable people have direction. Because they know where their journey is going to take them, people will want to follow.

9. They are resilient.

Highly desirable people don't get off track when things don't go as planned. They are resilient and expect things to bring a certain amount of stress, lack of predictability and challenge. They get up and suit up, rather than getting down when they have a failure. Highly desirable people increase their levels of resiliency by analyzing why things didn't work out as they had expected. They are committed to learning and to changing what they need to change to get to where they need to go. Giving up doesn't exist in their vocabulary, but moving forward does. Highly desirable people are attractive to others because they are survivors.

Related: 10 Traits All Successful Entrepreneurs Share

10. They live to have an impact.

Highly desirable people have a deep desire to have a positive impact on the world at large. These types of people are not self-centered, only thinking about "having" or "wanting" for themselves, alone. Highly desirable people want to be a part of changing the lives of others for the better. Many work in careers which support causes or philanthropies, where they can share their wealth, resources and knowledge. Others become professional coaches or therapists and others give more privately. No matter what path is chosen, highly desirable people see their ability to help others as their greatest gift.

Highly desirable people are successful because they build their lives from the inside out. They start with their passions, grit for hard work and the patience to hang in there when things are tough. They work from the desire to have an impact and to make a difference. They are not your superficial, narcissistic billboard of a person who works only as a shallow advertisement of a success. For this reason, the highly desirable person has longevity, a supportive network of people and sustaining success, rather than short lived bursts of success built upon only upon a shallow image.

Sherrie Campbell

Psychologist, Author, Speaker

Sherrie Campbell is a psychologist in Yorba Linda, Calif., with two decades of clinical training and experience in providing counseling and psychotherapy services. She is the author of Loving Yourself: The Mastery of Being Your Own Person. Her new book, Success Equations: A Path to an Emotionally Wealthy Life, is available for pre-order.

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