Character Building: Willy Wonka

Willy Wonka played by Gene Wilder (1971)
 and Johnny Depp (2005) [photo]

What type of child were you growing up? A bully? The kid everyone copied their homework off of? Perhaps, you were the art geek, or stayed in sports year round. Which ever type of kid you were, do you think you were as "bratty" as the kids out of the cult classic films, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971), and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory released in 2005. I bring attention to the Willy Wonka character because when you think of the way Willy Wonka dealt with these bratty children, he did it with fun, flare, and a dose of what they deserved without even trying.

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If you remember the 2005 version, then you will remember the back story to Willy Wonka's success. Considering his father's profession as a dentist, Wonka Senior's disdain and banishment of candy in the house was enough to spark the fire of the future candy connoisseur.Not only was Wonka decked out in such luscious frocks for a successful "Wizard of Candy" dawning pieces that remind us of a circus ringmaster, but the Willy Wonka character sported his look in a more sleek and dapper manner. Wonka was so suave and mystifying, it's hard not to be enchanted by his kooky antics and far flung philosophies.

Photo Credit: [source]

What I take away most from this character was his clever confidence, low tolerance for foolishness, and even though his personality was mildly childish and mental at times, he was still logical thinking, and considerably down to Earth. Willy Wonka was a businessman, and in my fashion, to be a "good" businessman you must know how to turn a bad situation into a better one. He countered the annoying antics of his guests, and any resulting negativity, with a sardonic positivity. Even though sarcasm is considered the lowest form of humor, it worked for him and got the message across that even though he is fun and loopy, he doesn't play games. He knows that in this world unexpected and foolish things occur (sometimes at the same time), and instead of getting upset the only thing to do, is to find the best solution and let things play out.

It is this mindset that I admire the most, because it is this piece of mind that keeps us from feeling out of control in our lives. It is about knowing that things can go wrong, but being optimistic that things will work out like you envisioned because you have made up in your mind that there is no other option but for things to work in your favor. Having that air of control, and patient optimism is what will make your style so much more attractive, for people that seem to be in control are always seen as more attractive then those who seem lost and unsure. It's about knowing that things don't always go your way, but you can make it work if you think far enough (how do you think Wonka created all of that wonderful candy). He believed in his far flung ideas so much that he created his own world based off of what he devised as his ideal of "good living", and as evident by his high sales, the rest of the world wanted a taste of his "good life". As Earl Nightingale has observed for us "We become what we think about," and even though Willy Wonka's factory is as real as an everlasting gobstopper, we can certainly count on the fact that it is possible to become what you want to become. Just be patient and diligent towards your cause.