What would you say if I asked you to rate your self-confidence on a scale of one to ten?
Would you be a super-confident “10,” a down-in-the-dumps “1,” or somewhere in between?
Your answer might depend on how you’re feeling at the time or what’s happened to you during the day. But think about how you feel most of the time. Are you basically happy with yourself? Are you a confident person? Or are you someone who always thinks of others as being better and having more than you? One fact is certain; people who are self-confident do better in any environment, have more friends, have a better chance of getting the kind of job they want, and are more likely to have a rewarding and fulfilling future.
Self-confidence affects our attitudes and performance. When we feel good about ourselves, we find something positive in each new experience. But when we don’t feel so good about ourselves, every setback just seems to take our self-confidence down another notch.
Your attitudes, in turn, have a lot to do with your ability to succeed and be happy. Even though you can’t see them, your attitudes are as much a part of you as your arms and legs. They show the world how you feel deep down about yourself and your life. And they affect the way your life is going to turn out for you.
YOU CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN
You too can become self-confident. It’s not some magical gift. It’s not luck. Here are a few ideas to help you develop your own self-confidence:
To build your feelings of being good at something, FOCUS ON THE THINGS THAT YOU DO WELL AND ENJOY DOING. Could you improve your skills in these areas by a little extra work and practice? If so, take the time. You’ll feel better not just about your skills, but about yourself.
People tend to be very self-critical, always checking how they look and wishing they looked like someone else. Try focusing on your best qualities. FOCUS ON WHAT’S GOOD AND SPECIAL ABOUT YOURSELF, AND YOU’LL BEGIN TO LIKE YOURSELF A LOT MORE.
Remember that your attitude about what you can do is one of the keys to self-confidence. IF YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN DO SOMETHING, YOU’RE ON YOUR WAY TO GREAT SUCCESS IN YOUR LIFE.
Finally, one of the most important things you can do to build your confidence is to help others develop their own self confidence too. Do this by listening to them, appreciating them, including them in your group, and helping them to feel capable and responsible. You’ll soon discover that by helping others to become stronger you’ll feel stronger too. Give freely of praise, appreciation, respect, honesty, caring, and concern. As you share these gifts, they’ll keep coming back to you. They’ll help make you the person you really want to be.
