Building Confidence

I've been reading an article in Readers Digest, Surprising Secrets to Unshakeable Confidence, that provides some ideas for expecting positive outcomes. It is true that not all of our hopes and dreams come true. But placing ourselves in a better position will set us up to achieve them more often. Doing so requires improving your own confidence.

The article describes six strategies to boost your confidence and a short, very short, description of each. I recommend you get your hands on the article to read it more in-depth.

1. The toes and shoulders test

How you carry yourself, your dress, your health and the like. Not only does it signal to others that you are confident, but dressing the part boosts your own self-image. Makes you feel better and you 'carry yourself' in a more confident manner.

2. How to get to Carnegie Hall

Repeat positive messages to yourself and smile. If you enter a room smiling, you are more likely to provoke a positive response from others. This in turn makes you more confident.

3. Flying without spoons

Avoid hanging with negative people and 'gripe sessions'. If someone is being down on things, try to turn it into a positive one. And if there are valid complaints or 'gripes', ask them or yourself to present ideas to solve it. This indicates a "sense that you are in control and can take action that will make things happen." You become more confident in yourself.

4. The angry e-mail file

Remember an article I wrote some time back called S.U.M.O.? SUMO means "Shut Up, Move On", which sounds harsher then it is. Go back in my archives "Monday, September 19, 2005 - So Shut Up and Move On", to read more. It will effect your own self confidence.

5. Let the Confidence Games begin

Simple recognition of others and of yourself goes a long way in establishing confidence. Telling someone something good about them raises their confidence. "Find the strength in somebody else..." and you will find people finding strengths in you...again, raising your confidence level.

6. Remember Kanter's Law: Everything can look like a failure in the middle

Adopt the attitude "that if you do something it will make a difference, that's confidence." Just understand that persistence is a key to success. An old worn saying is that eventually there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Things will improve and so will your confidence.

There are many ways to work on and improve your confidence. Adopting a positive attitude will do great things in boosting your confidence and vice-versa.

“Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong.” - Peter T. Mcintyre