Tag: self-confidence

IT IS NOT HOW FAR YOU HAVE TO GO, BUT HOW FAR YOU HAVE COME.

It should surprise nobody that human beings can be fickle creatures. One of the more amusing aspects of humanity is that we often focus on what we lack, or what we have left to do. We often build it up to be far more that it actually is. In a strange twist of irony, we minimize the importance of how much we have accomplished or how far we have come.

It is certainly not helpful to rest on your laurels. Looking back and appreciating them from time to time can certainly be helpful. Knowing that we have made it through some very tough challenges, some of which we may have thought that we never would have made it through, can give us the confidence that we can make it through the challenge we are now facing. David Goggins refers to it as ‘the cookie jar’. Something he reaches for in his mind when facing a tough situation. This is a man who runs 200 miles without stopping in Death Valley in the summer! He knows a thing or two about overcoming challenges.

How about you? What is in your cookie jar? Not the one in the kitchen, but the one in your own head? What accomplishments and overcoming of challenges do you have? It can be helpful to sit down and list them. A little of both. Read over that list on a tough day when you are feeling like you cannot persevere. It will also help ingrain them in your mind so that when a tough challenge pops up unexpectedly you have them front and center. It can give you that boost of confidence you need to live the amazing life you deserve!

IMPORTANCE OF CONFIDENCE

One of my guilty pleasures in old-school hip-hop music. The ones from the late 80’s and early 90’s. I enjoy the fact that you can actually understand what they are saying and the lyrical content is usually not too off the rails. In fact, one of the main subjects they include in their lyrics is how great they are. It reminds me of the boxer Muhammad Ali. He told the world he was the greatest before he even won anything. He was that confident.

Confidence is a tricky thing. It is often confused with arrogance. In reality, they have very little to do with each other. True confidence stems from a believe in yourself. This can be fostered from the knowledge of work you did to prepare, or past performance in overcoming a similar situation. It may be an inner knowing that you are going to persist no matter what challenges appear. Confidence is earned. It is never earned at the sacrifice of others. In fact, confidence doesn’t involve others. It is an inside job.

What tools and strategies do you use to boost your confidence? Have you ever thought about this? Having confidence allows us to keep going when others would quit. If we have built up enough of it, we could keep going long after we thought we would quit. It is another reason to stick with the promises that you make to yourself. Knowing that you keep your word to yourself is another way to give you confidence. I would love to hear what other ways you give yourself confidence.

IF YOU ARE BRAVE ENOUGH ♥️

Here is an activity that is perfect for our Wednesday! Say something nice about yourself. To many of us, this feels awkward as we are told that this is not a good thing to do. We might not be told this directly, but we are warned about being self-centered or bragging. The sad part is that this often leads to a lack of self-confidence or a negative self-image. We can recognize our redeeming qualities without slipping into arrogance. There is something amazing about each of us. Acknowledging this will assist us in living an amazing life.

Think about the people in your life. When you think about all of the amazing things they bring into your life, you are motivated to treat them with the love and care they deserve. My lovely Margie, for example, always brings laughter and silliness into my life. This is such an important thing in a stressful world. For that, and a million other reasons, she is very valuable to me and I treat her as such. My mother keeps me company on walks in nature, which refresh the spirit and keep the body fit. Therefore, I value her and her company. How about you? Are there people in your life that you value for the wonderful things they bring into your life?

When you stop and appreciate the wonderful things that you bring to the world, you value and treat yourself better. When you treat yourself better, you are in a better state to treat others with kindness and compassion. This activity may feel strange at first as we are not used to complimenting ourselves. As we get used to it, we will realize what amazing souls we are. This helps us in so many ways. It helps us set boundaries with others. This can protect our physical, mental and emotional well-being. It develops self-respect. It may also help us realize our gifts and better share them with others.

I will share my answer with you, and I would love to hear yours as well. Something nice about me is that I love to share knowledge that I learn to improve life with as many others as I can. To me, the more people living an amazing life, the more amazing the world will be. Share your answer to this question in the comment below.