“If you haven’t confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race
of life. With confidence, you have won even before you have started.” –
Marcus Garvey,
Self confidence is the belief that you can do or achieve
something. Whether it is to complete a project, give a presentation, talk to
the guy/girl of your dreams, compete athletically, complete a course of study
successfully, etc. Without confidence it will be difficult for you to
succeed.
Self confidence provides us with optimism, and energizes us
to propel forward towards our goals.
With confidence, we find it easier to do what is required to achieve our
desires. Where it is lacking, we become
timid, doubtful, afraid to try.
There are different levels of confidence that you experience
when faced with different situations and objectives. Generally, for those
things that you believe to be easily attainable you exhibit greater levels of
confidence, while for those things that are strange or perceived to be outside
your comfort zone you feel less confident.
Additionally, confidence in a particular area doesn’t of its
own accord remain at a fixed level.
Instead, it is at times strong and at times not as strong. It is also influenced by how well things are
going around us – if things are trending in the direction we wish them to go
then our confidence will be stronger than when things are not going in the
direction, or as smoothly, as we would want.
The opposite of self-confidence is self doubt. We doubt ourselves when we do not believe we
can execute and accomplish something - when we believe we are not good enough
we are not driven to try. And if we try, it is with such a frail effort that
failure is almost assured. Without confidence we lack the energy and the will
to ‘go for it’.
Confidence is impacted substantially by three powerful
underpinning elements – belief, courage, and enthusiasm. Without these, or with a deficiency in any
one of them, it is likely that your level of self confidence will suffer. In the movie ‘The Company Men’ people we lost
their jobs were taught to energize themselves by repeating: “I will win. Why?
Because I have faith, courage and enthusiasm.”
Belief
If you can believe, all things are possible to him that
believes (Mark 9:23). Belief it would
seem is a fundamental element in self confidence and achieving our goals. In moving towards your goal, there are two
beliefs that are crucial. The first
belief is that the goal is achievable, i.e. it is possible. The second is that
you have or can access the means (i.e. the knowledge, skills, and other
resources) to succeed.
Courage
The number one reason people don’t pursue their goals, it is
said, is because of fear, and in particular fear of failure. Doubt and fear almost always follow a
commitment to achieve. One way to look at them is as a form of ‘reality check’
to ensure that you have thought through your chosen course. They tell you that “you can’t do it because” (…you
don’t have the resources …others have tried and failed…you are going on a
fool’s errand…and on and on it goes). By
thinking through how you can overcome these limitations, having planned your
next steps, the foundation of these fears will be shaken. You then have to move forward irrespective of
them. Courage is taking that first step,
and then the next, and then the next despite the fears and doubts. With each successive step, however, it will
become easier and the fears subside.
Enthusiasm
Enthusiasm is that part of self confidence that provides the
energy, the pizzazz or vitality. It puts the pep in your step and propels you
to move towards your desire with excitement. It is what provides the wind in
your sail and keeps you moving towards your goal at a pace.
Self confidence is an embodiment of these three elements.
Boosting anyone of these will boost your level of confidence and propel you to
the success that can be yours.
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