“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” Dale Carnegie
Confidence, bravery and courage have featured as core themes in many Focus on WHY episodes, notably in my recent two episodes with Jo Moseley and Sarah Oakley.
Taking with ease to the water, Jo Moseley from episode 295 Calm Confidence gains a sense of movement, freedom and calm confidence from stand up paddle boarding. Sharing how she feels on the water reminded me of the pleasure I used to get from rowing in the river. I can still hear the sound the water made rippling around the oars as I took each stroke and the boat carved its course.
Jo sold the sport of stand up paddle boarding to me and I will definitely be seeking out a place to do it near me soon. However Jo’s message was bigger than simply discovering a new sport. Her message was about self-discovery, about finding joy after feeling broken physically, emotionally and mentally. It was about how she unlocked levels of confidence that surprised her as she didn’t even know they needing unlocking.
Confidence: the feeling or belief that one can have faith in or rely on someone or something. Self-confidence is slightly different being an attitude about your skills and abilities. Both though are founded on trust. Trust in others and in yourself. Are you a confident person? Are you self-confident?
I remember being told by my art teacher, Mrs Jones as a 13 year old to have “courage of conviction.” She encouraged me to trust my intuition to have the confidence to do what I believed was right. I can still picture that moment in the classroom clearly. That exchange of words impacted my life far more than I was perhaps aware of at the time.
From this young age I learned the power of self-confidence and how to trust in my own abilities, judgement and qualities. However, that is not to say I don’t still have wobbles in my self-confidence. I do. We all do. Some days more than others.
So how can you build your self-confidence? In lots of ways. Here are a few suggestions. By befriending your inner critic and journalling out any self-doubts daily. By focusing on your strengths and by doing more of what you love to do. By accepting compliments from others and complimenting yourself for a job well done. By stopping giving yourself a hard time and celebrating your wins.
Rock your own world. Put on some music and get up and dance. Believe in yourself to build your self-confidence, self-worth and self-esteem.
Take risks, be courageous and be brave. As Sarah Oakley said in episode 296 Find Your Brave, “We all want to find our bravery, don't we? Bravery doesn't need to be doing something massive. It can just be that thing that scares you.”
Find your brave. Focus on Confidence.
ACTION POINT - Yes, I can! Remind yourself of this phrase daily. What will you do today to demonstrate self-confidence?