Archives for April 2011

Confidence and happiness go together, and yet circumstances and events around us threaten to strain that connection.
Even the most confident of us can have moments of doubt or incidents that dampen and diminish our usual upbeat certainty.

Confidence is the belief that you have the ability and skills to succeed at whatever you tackle. When you are confident, your inner voice says “Yes, I can.”

Happiness is a state of well-being, where you are pleased with your life and look forward to each day.

Confidence is learned. It is based on successfully completing activities and reaching goals. The more you are successful at what you tackle, the stronger your confidence that you’ll be able to succeed at future endeavors.

Here are 5 tips to gain and maintain your confidence which will give you deep satisfaction in your day-to-day life.

1. Recognize that you are not alone.

People who are successful have moments of doubt and a slip in confidence occasionally. They also have failures and make mistakes, but they realize that this is part of growth. Instead of being undone by these bumps in the road, they find ways to restore their feelings of self-worth and self-assurance. You can do this as well.

2. Surround yourself with confident people and situations.

We are all influenced by our surroundings. That’s why it’s important to stay in the company of inspiring people who encourage you and cheer you on. This may be in the form of motivational groups, seminars, audio recordings, clubs, books, and of course, your friends. Fill your experiences and mind with uplifting people and ideas.

3. Break big tasks into smaller ones.

It’s scary to stare at a big task as if you had to accomplish it in one swoop. Big tasks take many days, weeks and sometimes years. So, chop the big task into small parts and complete one small task at a time.

Completing a college degree, for example, will require you to complete many units of study, often taking many years. But since you can only take one course or set of courses at a time, focus on what you can handle in small chunks. Complete them successfully knowing that they are moving you closer to your goal.

4. Acknowledge your successes, even small ones.

You may be like many of us, and discount your achievements, or put yourself down for not having done more. This is a big confidence-killer.

When you complete a step toward your goal, congratulate yourself, celebrate and reassure yourself that you will succeed at the next step as well.

5. Practice positive self-talk and affirmations.

Scientists say that we think thousands of thoughts each day. Since we tend to move toward the direction of the thoughts it’s essential that we think positive ones.

Think about what you want to bring about. Even before it comes into being it’s essential to speak about the good you want. Some achieve this with the help of guided meditation, prayer, and spiritual rituals. Find what works for you and make it a part of your life.