You have little hope of gaining authority if you don't believe in yourself. If you constantly second-guess yourself, you will not seem authoritative to anyone. If you hear your voice in your head telling you that you can't do it, don't listen to these  internal negative messages. Believe that you can do anything and those around you will begin to notice your confidence.  Even if you get negative feedback at work, remember how sure and capable you feel about your job requirements. Don't let anyone make you doubt yourself. It is also helpful to be well-informed about your job, your position, and how you fit within the company. Know your place and show your coworkers and bosses that you can do what is required of you. When you go to work, dress to impress but don't go over the top. Figure out what is respectable for your particular position and work from there. Don't look like a carbon copy of everyone around you, however. Dress for success, but also remember to follow your own style, and feel confident in what you wear. The better you look and feel, the more authoritative you will appear. For example, don't show up to work in wrinkled jeans and a t-shirt where people in authority positions wear nice suits and dress clothes every day. Dress for the position and environment you are in. When you are new at a job or position, or if you are just trying to gain more authority in your current position, make sure you know what responsibilities you have. Be clear about what your job description is and what is expected of you. If you are in a managerial position, make sure you move projects forward, look after your fellow employees, and resolve problems that arise that you are responsible for. When you make these decisions, make them with confidence. Don't second-guess yourself; you have the right to make choices. As long as you are clear about what your job entails, you can exert as much authority as your position will allow, if you are confident in your actions. One of the main ways to lose authority in the workplace is to act as if you are the most important person in the room. Even if your job description says you are higher up in the company than everyone else, don't act like it. Try to positively influence the workflow of those around you without seeming self-important. Strive to always be mindful of how your job relates to those around you. This doesn't mean you should act as if you are not relevant. There is a balance between acting confident and in charge and acting self-important; expecting everyone to bow down to you and your authority. This will likely make your coworkers and employees lose respect and faith in your abilities. Whether it is with your boss, coworkers, or employees. When you interact with anyone at work, be on your best behavior. Don't make inappropriate comments or make anyone feel uncomfortable with your interactions. Put your best foot forward. You can't do this if you aren't mindful of your interactions with others. Make sure your projects, reports, or other work documents look as professional as possible. These presentations are how you interact most with your coworkers and bosses, so make sure they are clean and well designed. This is true of e-mails as well. In the current workplace, you will likely interact with your coworkers through e-mail and other electronic communication on a daily basis. Make sure you are respectful as well as neat and grammatically correct in your messages. This will make you seem more confident and authoritative. There are times when you will be called on to help with a problem at work. Instead of being timid about a solution or worrying about overstepping your bounds, learn to speak up. If you think you have a solution to a problem, express it to those around you. They can be coworkers, employees, or bosses. Try coming up with alternate solutions to problems. If there is a problem that is an "either/or" issue, try to make it a "this and that" solution.
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One-sentence summary -- Be confident in yourself. Dress for success. Be confident of your own authority. Don't appear self-important. Make a good impression. Learn to speak up.

Article: Chalky paint has a matte finish, goes on with minimal prep work, and is easier to scrape off while you’re distressing your furniture. Choose a paint color that matches the aesthetic in the rest of your room.  Chalky paint is not the same as chalkboard paint. Chalkboard paint is meant to be written on with chalk after it dries, while chalky paint just has an ultra-matte finish. You can buy chalky paint from any painting supply store. Adding marks to a table surface or furniture legs can make it seem older than what it actually is. Lightly tap your furniture with the end of a chisel or hammer to make indents in the surface. Make the marks random so it doesn’t look like an intentional pattern.  Wear safety glasses in case any wood accidentally breaks off your furniture. Experiment with different tools around your house to see what kind of marks they make. Use 120-grit sandpaper to roughen the surfaces on your piece of furniture. This helps the paint adhere better so it’s less likely to peel off or chip. Make sure to sand any surface you plan on painting so you get a nice even coat. You do not need to sand unfinished wood furniture. Wet a cleaning cloth with warm water and wring it out until it’s damp. Wipe all of the surfaces you plan on painting to get rid of any dust or dirt that’s on them. Use another cloth to dry any areas that are wet before you start. Dip the ends of the bristles in your paint so there’s only a small amount on your paintbrush. Start from the top of your piece of furniture and work toward the bottom. Apply a thin layer of paint on the surface so it can dry fast and even. When you’re finished with the first coat, leave it to dry overnight. It’s okay if you still see the wood or laminate underneath your first coat of paint. This can help add to the distressed look of the final piece. Once the first coat of paint has dried completely, put another coat of paint on your piece. Again, work from the top of the furniture down toward the bottom, and paint until it has a smooth matte finish. When you’re done, let it dry for 3-4 days so the paint has time to adhere to the furniture. Corners and edges are usually the first parts that wear away over time, so start by distressing them. Use 120-grit sandpaper to rub the dry paint off of the surface to expose the wood or laminate underneath. Apply light pressure so you don’t accidentally remove more than you want.  Add more distress marks where your furniture touches the floor so it looks like it’s been scratched up after moving around a lot. Wipe any dust away with a damp rag so you can easily see where you’ve already distressed the furniture. If you accidentally rub off too much of the paint, you may paint over the area again and start over. Wax acts as a sealant to help protect your furniture from any damage. Dip the end of a cheesecloth in the wax and spread it across the surface of your furniture. Work the wax into the surface in a circular motion until it’s smooth. Continue waxing the entire piece of furniture so it’s sealed.  Furniture wax can be bought from your local hardware or paint supply stores. Wax may take up to 30 days to completely cure, but you can use the furniture after one week.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Use chalky paint for your furniture. Add dings and dents to the furniture surface for an extra-distressed look. Sand the furniture if it has a finish on it. Wipe the furniture with a damp cloth before painting. Apply a coat of paint and let it dry. Paint a second coat onto your furniture and leave it to cure for 3-4 days. Sand edges and common places of wear and tear with 120-grit sandpaper. Seal the wood and paint with finishing wax.