007 Traits We All Should Have

In a career spanning 53 years and gracing the silver screen for 26 editions, Bond! James Bond 007, the worlds sexiest Secret Agent is back in town with Spectre.  What makes this character so timeless and why does he consistently appeal to both the male and female psyche these past five decades, you may ask.

The Bond films are not cinematic nouveau and some would argue that they are quite formulaic. There is always a global crisis, a villain, a beautiful woman, and one man with innovative machinery who saves the day and gets the girl.  Cinema goers are always assured of seeing an epic action adventure with a happy ending.  However, there is another attribute that keeps us flocking to the cinema to cheer Bond on.  His character and the traits he displays.

Both male and female audiences identify with Bond as he represents a part of us all, who we aspire to be in our Superhero Mode.  Here are the 007 traits we all should have.

Self-awareness and self-assurance

Bond is very self-aware. He knows who he is as a man and also as a secret agent.  He has been accused of being a sexist, misogynist dinosaur, a relic of the Cold War and while he admitted there is some truth in this, he did not descend into a worm whole of self-doubt. He accepts these “bad elements” of his character and continues to live his life and do his job with self-assurance. He does not allow criticism to stop him from taking action, and likewise he does not allow ego from hindering his personal evolution.

Take a moment to consider how self-aware you are and how much self-assurance you have. Is there room for growth?

Courage to take risks

In the given situations that Bond finds himself in, he has the courage to take risks. Some are relatively small and insignificant while others are life endangering and almost death defying.  He relies on his training, experience and self-assurance as an agent to make assessments and take risks.  While he is not always assured of the outcome and has been injured many times this does not hinder him on his quest.  He does not decide to give up or take it easy or stay at home and leave the task to 006 or 009.

Take a moment to consider your life situations. Are you activating your personal courage to take risks?

Impeccable with his word

James is always impeccable with this word.  What he says he will do, he does.  He also uses words sparingly.  While he is extremely self-aware and self-assured he is neither boastful nor disrespectful when talking with others.  When threating an enemy he states the facts and then follows through. Likewise he speaks to those around him with respect and clarity. When disagreeing with bosses or villains he is not drawn into long debates of superfluous words.  We do not find Bond losing his cool or losing the plot because he cannot control his tongue. By being impeccable with his word he exercises one of the small secrets of self-control.

Are you impeccable with your word or do you lose your own power because your tongue is too loose?

Measured and calm

Just as Bond is precise in the words he speaks, he is also measured and calm in the actions he takes and displays a certain economy of movement.  While it would make for good cinema to see our hero with two guns blazing, spraying bullets everywhere, he is precise in his technique and the consequences are appropriate.  You would never see him running to-and-fro like a headless chicken, instead in his awareness and self-assurance he remains balanced within himself and carries himself with a certain calmness that demands respect from friends and foes alike. Through this measured and calm behaviour Bond never gives his personal inner core power away. As a result he always has enough inner resolve to deal with the situations he finds himself in.

Are you able to remain calm in the face of calamity or is your inner power lost to the drama of the moment?

Gives and receives great loyalty

James Bond, for all his sexist, misogynist ways is extremely loyal to Queen and Country.  It is this loyalty that causes him to break the rules when his government refuses to see imminent danger and it is also this loyalty that his colleagues respond to in his time of need.  He shows us what it means to stick with a cause even when times are tough and it would be easier to throw in the towel.  He does not abandon those in need, often putting his life on the line for them.  While James does not trust many people, he knows that he can trust those closest to him because he has their utmost loyalty, as they have his.

What cause are you loyal to? Are you able to stick with it in tough times, or do you want to throw in the towel?

Authenticity

James Bond has his own, unique, authentic style.  This is his trademark and should he stray from his authenticity we would all consider him a fraud.  He does not make excuses for who he is, but carries himself with power and grace. This is a man comfortable in his own skin and those perfectly tailored Savile Row suits.  We all know he has faults and unlikeable traits and yet it is his authenticity that keeps us liking and loving him. Should he suddenly start behaving differently we would distrust his character and question his motives and yet he always remains true to himself.

Are you living your authentic life, or are you being another version of who you really are or want to be?

A sense of humour

Through it all, pursuing the villain and the girl, wrecking the cars, injuring the beautiful face and creating great annoyance within MI6, Bond maintains a sense of humour. It is often dry and self-effacing yet it is present nevertheless.  This sense of humour is probably his way of not “sweating the small stuff.”   That could mean anything from narrowly avoiding a nuclear disaster to losing the girl he was chasing.  His sense of humour also keeps him in balanced and sustains his ability to bounce back from disastrous situations to keep moving forward.

When life is not coming up roses for you, are you able to see the humour in or around the situation?

Which of these 007 traits do you have or would like to foster in your own life?

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