If you have no confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race of life – Marcus Garvey
Inviting Confidence
A few years ago, our refrigerator broke down. After consulting a friend who knows about refrigeration, we discovered that one of the parts needed to be replaced. I am not a handyman. But after finding out how much a professional would charge to replace it, I attempted the repair. Through a team effort with my wife, we replaced the broken part. First, we were shocked, and then we cheered and hugged when the fridge worked. With confidence soaring through the roof, I asked, “What else is broken in this house?”
Have you ever done something you thought or believed you couldn’t do? Maybe you went back to school after being out for years and earned a degree or certification. It could have been a task that seemed beyond your reach, yet you were able to accomplish it. It could be a job you applied for, even though you thought it was beyond you, but you got the job and performed well. Or, you had a physical fitness goal that seemed impossible to reach, but it happened. It seemed beyond your capacity, yet you were able to get it done. What happened to your confidence and mental condition?
Learning Confidence (from a five-year-old)
We power up our confidence with action, whether big or small. I’ve seen this in our daughter, Priscilla, who has been riding her bicycle with training wheels until this week when she decided to learn to ride a two-wheeler. At first, she was afraid. As I held and helped her, she rode a little bit and stopped when she realized she was about to fall. I thought she was going to give up. With a beaming face, she screamed, “I did it!” for all the neighborhood to hear and asked if she could do it again. Her confidence soared. She began telling me to let her go so she could try it on her own. Watching her confidence fueled by action was a sight to behold. Priscilla reminded me that confidence and courage grow in areas where you take action. Fear will dominate your life until you choose to do what is hard. Confidence builds your courage and vice versa. Actress Tamara Taylor put it well: “As long as you keep going, you’ll keep getting better. And as you get better, you gain more confidence.”
Growing Your Confidence
We don’t grow our confidence in discussing what or how we will start or continue something. Confidence grows steadily every time you take an action and repeat it. As actions become part of our behavior, our confidence drives us to bring our best in whatever we do in life. Confidence also affects other areas of our lives. My daughter’s confidence, which grew from learning to ride a bike on two wheels, spread to other areas where she had been hesitant. We are more willing to try different things because of our confidence. Confidence doesn’t eliminate fear; it drowns its voice long enough for us to discover what we are capable of. I also learned that while action builds confidence, encouragement waters it. As I cheered for Priscilla and encouraged her, her confidence stayed powered up. Watching her be confident in something she was afraid of was highly gratifying. Take the opportunity to be someone’s encourager and watch how it fuels their confidence.
Confidence doesn’t eliminate fear; it drowns its voice long enough for us to discover what we are capable of.
Final Thought: You cannot continue what you never started, and your confidence and courage grow in areas where you take action. The action may be small, but the return on investment in terms of confidence is always much higher. If your life feels stagnant due to fear, take action towards your goal, purpose, or dream. That small action will start to break fear’s domination of your mind and instill the confidence to continue.
Keep on keeping on!
Discover Your Treasure 