 |
| Confident Plussize ladies |
We watch the star athlete calmly
make the final shot, score the winning goal, or lead his team for a touchdown
in the final minute of the game. We marvel at their talent and their
determination, but what we value and admire most is the supreme confidence they
display - they know they will succeed.
Confidence is an attribute that is
alluring, attractive, valuable, desirable and contagious. Almost everyone
aspires to greater levels of it, even if they feel confident most of the time.
It is a trait that will help us create greater results for ourselves and when
leading others. Any trait with this much benefit is one worth developing. And
yes, you can develop and strengthen your confidence.
Consider these five steps as the
building blocks for greater confidence in any part of your life.
1. Remind yourself of past successes. Confidence builds on past
success. Since you have had success before, you can (and will) have it again.
We strengthen our confidence in any activity when we review or remind ourselves
of past successes. If you are trying to build confidence in a new area, past
success can still help us strengthen our confidence. For example, if you have
had success in doing something new in the past, review those experiences when
trying something else new - even if it is in an entirely different part of your
life.
2. Read and listen to positive materials. Fill your mind with positive
and affirming words, ideas and stories. Read things that enhances your skills
or knowledge in the area in which you want to build your confidence. Read
materials that are generally uplifting and affirming, and read biographies of
successful people. You will find that many of them had troubles in life, came
from tough situations and still succeeded. If you have ever thought, "Well,
if they can do, I could too." Then you realize that we can build our
confidence by reading about others stories. Reading and listening to positive
materials is about reinforcement, encouragement, and learning. All three of
these components are needed for greater confidence.
3. See your future success. Olympic athletes, corporate executives,
and successful people in all sorts of endeavors visualize future success.
Confidence will grow when we see ourselves succeeding. Think about it, if you
know you will succeed, your confidence will soar, right? Visualizing future
success does that very thing for us. Our minds cannot tell the difference
between something real and something vividly imagined. So vividly visualize
your success. What will it look like, smell like, and taste like to have
succeeded? Who will be with you, what will you be hearing and where will you
be? How will you be feeling at that moment? Putting this much detail into your
vivid picture improves the likelihood of success, and supports greater confidence!
4. Reframe failure. Thomas Edison spent a long time trying to create
an incandescent light bulb - to create light from electricity. He is attributed
with saying, "I have not failed, I have discovered twelve hundred
materials that don't work." 1,200! Perhaps you feel you can reframe your
failures as learning experiences- as a chance to find out what doesn't work.
But would you be able to do so 1,200 times? Know that failures will occur - and
your confidence won't be as shaken when they come. Use the
