The ultimate guide to building confidence and tenacity in you with simple practical daily habits
How you carry and present yourself says a lot about your confidence.
How many times didn't we hear this expression "I can smell her/ his confidence from here".
Confidence is what makes you stand out from a crowd. It is what sets you apart. But is it something we are born with or do we just develop it?
I think everyone is confident. It is already within you, but it is a choice you make to cultivate it. So let's find out what these steps are.
1. Confidence starts with SELF- BELIEF
The first step to developing confidence is by believing in yourself. Self-belief is one of the hardest steps. We are surrounded by people always promoting negative talk saying you can't do this or that. Because of these beliefs, we start internalizing these opinions and believing we are incapable of achieving our goals.
However, it really takes one second to change that; it is the shift in your mindset.
You know when they say that to build confidence, you should tell yourself that you can do anything in the world? That's exactly how it works. Everything starts by believing in yourself. When you believe in your ability, no one can stop you and people who believe in you will always be there to cheer you no matter what you choose to do.
2. Repeat POSITIVE SELF- AFFIRMATIONS
Inspirational quotes, words of wisdom, and mantras are one way to build constant confidence. An easy way to start your day positively is through apps that are built with self-affirmations such as "I am beautiful today; I am worthy of love and respect". One way I remind myself of positive self-affirmations is through the inspirational quotes I have on my phone, and computer screens. These are two things I see often and every time I am about to face a difficult moment, I look at these quotes and remind myself of the person I am. One that I really like is "The Cave You Fear to Enter, Holds the Treasure You Seek". I read this particular quotation before facing something challenging and tell myself that whatever is on the other side of fear is incredible.
Continuous positive self-affirmations have shown long-term benefits to your self-esteem and confidence.
"The Cave You Fear to Enter Holds the Treasure You Seek." – Joseph Campbell
3. Be CURIOS and a GO GETTER
I have always been a very curious person, always wanting to know more, and always wanting to explore more. The more curious I am, the more I learn about what's out there and what I like or not. Curiosity is probably one of the best traits a confident person can have. It allows you to get more knowledgeable, and powerful. I think curiosity and being a go-getter go hand in hand. When you are curious about something, you tend to follow that path of discovering something within you that you were not aware of. Being curious allows you to be more open-minded and learn about different perspectives which feed into being more confident.
4. DO what SCARES you the most
When was the last time you did something you were so scared of? How did it make you feel after that action? I am pretty sure it gave you a boost of adrenaline. I think when we fear, this is probably a good thing. Fear arises from untapped potential, curiosity, and from uncertainty. But when we welcome fear in, that's when we start discovering our true potential, and what we are capable of achieving. One of my favorite quotes in a book I have read recently is "fear is the light that is meant to guide us", and so far, this is how it has been. For instance, the fear of public speaking has been something I have been dreading for a long time, but once I faced it, I realized how much I love speaking in a crowd. By following my fear, I started to become more fearless and much more confident.
5. Your only BENCHMARK is YOURSELF
Social media is great because it allows you to stay connected and make connections globally. However, social media can also be toxic especially when you follow successful individuals like influencers or celebrities. Unfortunately, when we see success stories, it can impact our self-esteem and confidence. Social media can make us feel insecure when negative talks start taking over our minds.
When it comes to comparison, the only person you should compare yourself to is yourself.
You are the only benchmark and the goal is to be better than yesterday.
Your life is your own journey. You are following your own path. You are not doing a marathon with other people. Everything comes with its pace and time. If people around you are getting married, having kids, etc while you feel you are not progressing, it's probably because you are meant to do greater things that life hasn't shown you yet. But just because you feel "unconventional" or things are not going like everyone else, it doesn't make you any less worthy. Everything has its moment and that's normal too.
To finish it off, I think when it comes to confidence, my other C word that comes to mind is Capacity. In short, confidence translates to capacity. When you are confident, you are capable of conquering the world. Anything is possible and no one can stop you from being unstoppable.
"As is our confidence so is our capacity"
- William Hazlitt