Why am I talking about how to build self-confidence and focus on positive thinking, you might ask. The truth is that positive thinking and self-confidence tend to go hand in hand. When you find one, you often find the other. And when you find one is lacking, you also find the other is lacking.
People who have confidence in themselves also tend to be positive about the world around them. And those who are positive about the world around them tend to be confident in themselves. This is why I thought it crucial to have time dedicated to teaching others how they can boost their self-confidence.
The effects of low self-confidence can be debilitating. Those who lack confidence in themselves rarely try new things, rarely take chances, and rarely get ahead in life. For the most part, those who lack confidence have a negative self-image, they feel as if their life is out of their control, and, in many cases, these people can become depressed and isolated.
On the other hand, those who do have self-confidence not only believe that they are in control of their lives, they make use of that control. They set clearly defined goals and they tend to get ahead in life. They try new things and they take calculated risks. They enjoy life and they look forward to new challenges.
Without self-confidence, it is likely that you will rarely advance in life, and you may become depressed and lose interest in life. More importantly though, the more you lack self-confidence, the more it shows. The more it shows, the more others will treat you the way you feel about yourself, and the more you are treated this way, the more lonely and isolated you will feel. This becomes a vicious downward cycle.
On the flip side, those who possess confidence in themselves tend to be treated as if they have something to offer, because they portray this very thing. Having self-confidence is vital if you plan to advance in any aspect of your life. Those who possess high self-confidence tend to be more positive, and for this reason, they attract more positivity into their lives. Because of this, self-confident people tend to be overall happy and fulfilled individuals.
By now you are probably thinking, “Well, I know I want to be self-confident, but what does that mean? What is self-confidence?” To have confidence in oneself means to have a firm belief in one’s abilities, to believe that you can achieve that which you have set out to achieve. It means that you trust in yourself. It is more than this, however.
Having a belief in our ability to succeed comes from experiences in any aspect of life. Being self-confident, however, means that we believe in our own abilities to perform and achieve in any activity, regardless of the outcome. Those who have true self-confidence do not dwell on the outcome; they do not worry if they will succeed or fail. Having confidence in yourself means that you learn from your failures and you continue to grow. Truly confident people know themselves well and do not rely on the opinions of others. They do not listen to those who say they cannot do something. They assess their best qualities, and they use them to their advantage.
To better explain what self-confidence is, I have laid out 10 common traits of self-confident people. Everyone has different degrees of self-confidence. By identifying the traits you are lacking, you can build on the confidence that you already have.
- These people believe in themselves and their abilities.
- These people take calculated risks and push themselves to new heights.
- Self-confident people take responsibility for their mistakes and they learn from them.
- They don’t worry about what others think; they care more about what they themselves think and feel.
- They openly share their opinions with others.
- Confident people make eye contact when talking with others.
- They accept themselves for who they are and are proud of that person.
- Confident people accept compliments graciously.
- Self-confident people see life as being up to them and not out of their control.
- They do not judge others to feed their own egos.
Geanell Adams, RPR, CRR, CRI, is the curriculum coordinator and lead instructor for court reporting at Hinds Community College in Raymond, Miss. She can be reached at gcadams@hindscc.edu or geanell.adams19804@go.hindscc.edu.
