SELF-CONFIDENCE
“One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation.”- Arthur Ashe
In order to understand this world of self-confidence we have to start very simple. Shall we?
First off, what is self-confidence?
Self-confidence is an attitude about your skills and abilities. It means you accept and trust yourself and have a sense of control in your life. You know your strengths and weaknesses well and have a positive view of yourself. You set realistic expectations and goals, communicate assertively, and can handle criticism.
Since long ago people believed they knew what self-confidence was, but why those people kept failing or failed in anything they did. This is simply because they did not fully understand what self-confidence really is and that is something you need to work on to achieve it. Many people may believe that self-confidence comes from your actual abilities, but actually is rarely related to that; as a matter of fact having high or low confidence it has to do more with your perceptions, what do I think about myself?, am I not enough?, are people taking advantage of me?, etc.
Low self-confidence might stem from previous experiences, such as growing up in an unsupportive and critical environment, being separated from your friends for the first time, judging yourself too harshly, or being afraid of failure. A person with low self-confidence is a pessimist, passivity, distrust, perfectionist, sensitive to criticism and failure, inferior, isolated, self-doubt and depressed.
But, is it always going to be like that?
The answer is no, not; there are some things to increase or boost your self-confidence.
Recognize your efforts: Reward and praise yourself for your efforts and progress.
Treat yourself with compassion: When you stumble upon an obstacle treat yourself with kindness.
Set realistic goals: It is impossible to be perfect in every aspect of life so do not expect perfection.
Slow down: When you are feeling strong emotions think wisely about what you’re going to do and decide.
Learn to say no: In any uncomfortable or unreasonable request your decision is what matters.
Express yourself respectfully: Expressing your feelings, beliefs and needs is important but make sure you do it respectfully and directly.
Recognize the past: Recognize the past negative life and do not let it dictate your future.
In conclusion, self-confidence is a skill that every single one of us must work on and a very important part of success in every aspect of life.
“Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit”
― E.E. Cummings
By Nashla Puerta, Step 9.
