Confidence can be described as a belief in oneself, that one has the ability to meet life's challenges and to succeed—and acting in a way that conveys that belief. There isn’t even a single word in the dictionary that defines “a lack of self-confidence.” The key point to be aware of is whether you are self-confident about your ability to succeed or you are self-confident about your ability to fail. Henry Ford said, “If you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.”
REFRAME situations with the phrase, "And the good news is....." Identify the strength and character building in the challenge you are experiencing.
Robert Rosenthal - Experimenter Expectancy effect. https://psych.wisc.edu/braun/281/Intelligence/LabellingEffects.htm
Expectations (including limiting labels) increase or decrease performance. Goethe said, “Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and help them to become what they are capable of being.” This is also true of what we say and think about ourselves.
Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106770/
Jia Jang - 100 Days of rejection Ted Talk http://www.ted.com/talks/jia_jiang_what_i_learned_from_100_days_of_rejection
“If you are insecure, guess what? The rest of the world is too. Do not overestimate the competition and underestimate yourself. You are better than you think.” -- T. Harv Eker
Do something that scares you just a little bit - every day. (zones: comfort, growth, and fear)
Work toward a goal. Insecurity feeds on aimless drifting. Dedication to a purpose in life is the fastest way to forget your insecurities and use your strengths for a worthwhile cause. Help someone else...
If we just keep going, despite uncertainty, each success builds further self-confidence. This builds RESILIENCE and strengthens our ability to handle the next challenge that comes our way.
Confidence through POWER POSES, Amy Cuddy Ted Talk. https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are?language=en
Baby Steps: Celebrate small victories. At night review your "I did it" list vs the "to do" list.
Be authentic! Dr. Seuss says, “We are all a little weird and life’s a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.”
Seek out and surround yourself with mentors and people who encourage and lift you.
