7 confidence building steps to creating the life you want
Confidence, we all want – right? So why is this emotional component of our personality so difficult for many people to unleash? That is the million dollar question.
What we know is that confidence develops overtime from the inside out and the outside in, through various life experiences and how we internalize ourselves in them. Confidence is created via positive thinking, self-trust and patience. Meaning there is a light at the end of the tunnel for those of us that may struggle with our confidence levels! If your self-esteem is getting in the way of your happiness and success, it might be time to build new habits and take on a different mentality to create a more confident, powerful version of you.
What is confidence
Defined as a feeling of trust in one's abilities, qualities, and judgment. Confidence comes from a Latin word 'fidere' which means "to trust"; therefore, having self-confidence is having trust in one's self.
Confident people derive their own sense of accomplishments based on what they think and feel about themselves, not what other people think of them. They don’t judge their character based on other people’s opinions, but rather what they know to be true of themselves. In addition, confidence is being able to have an “I can '' mentality, because they feel secure in themselves and trust they can handle whatever life may throw in their way. But what makes confidence so appealing to us? It draws people in, so be it a strong and indescribable energy that many of us wish to grasp because our modern culture really thrives on it, and unfortunately many of us are lacking in this department.
The importance of confidence
It fuels us to go after the life we want. Confidence is the key to achieving virtually anything you want, and also knowing that minor hiccups in the process are not failures, but simply a learning lesson along the way. Confidence truly pushes you to keep going no matter how hard life gets because not only do you trust yourself, but also the universe, and FYI: you can reclaim your self-confidence at any age, I’m here to tell you it’s possible!
7 steps to rebuilding your confidence
A fool proof guide to unleashing your inner confidence, and remember if you want it to flourish you must work on it.
- Believe what you’re told: when you receive a compliment reply with “thank you” and remind yourself these things are true, confidence is what you believe and how you feel, so start showering yourself with positivity and continue to remind yourself of it.
- Rewire your brain: whenever you hear that tiny inner voice telling you “I can’t” retrain it to say “I can” by using positive repetition. Practicing a new habit can change hundreds of millions and possibly billions of the connections between the nerve cells in our neural pathways.
- Don’t let your emotions get the best of you: these feelings are only temporary, there is always light at the end of a dark tunnel, you just have to push yourself out of there. So do what you need to do to find the silver lining during an emotional rollercoaster by taking a break, working out, meditating and so on, and remember emotions are only temporary.
- Dance with the devil: by making amends with failure. It’s uncommon to hear about people’s failures in our modern culture, we are taught that accomplishments equate to confidence, however failure is a healthy part of the process and completely necessary for learning and growth. Failure is a minor speed bump in the process not a road closure, so no matter how hard things might get, don’t let failure stop you from achieving your goals, befriend with the F word, it really isn’t that scary! This will help you regain confidence to focus on the bigger picture and of course, live a fuller life.
- Use your energy towards the things you can control: too much time is wasted away on the things we can’t control, instead of the things we can. Shift your energy on the steps you can take right now to achieving the life you want and deserve.
- Practice positive self-talk: remember the “I can” mentality of confident people? Well that’s you, so it’s time to take on the mindset, because you really can have and achieve all the things you want in life, but you HAVE to believe it! Any time that negative inner voice pops up in your head saying “I can’t”, “I hate this” or “I don’t like this” remind yourself that these thoughts aren’t always right and in order to grow you have to do things that might seem scary and out of your comfort zone. The more you start saying “I can” the more your life and confidence can improve!
- Building confidence builds more confidence: as simple as this method is, it actually works (save best for last right?). The key is to continue practicing these healthy habits for long-term success.