7 Ways to be More Confident

Happy Monday!

Hope you had a fantastic weekend!

This post first appeared on iScriblr, last week. iScriblr is one of my favorite bloggers as her blog always lifts my spirits with a positive poem, inspirational words of wisdom, or just a quick reminder of what’s important in life.

7 Ways to be More Confident

It’s time to kill the “Monday Blues” with some Real Talk and SELF CONFIDENCE!

Self-confidence means being in-sync with your capabilities, powers and self-worth regardless of the situation that you are in. It means that you acknowledge your strengths and believe in yourself to achieve your purpose and go for the challenges that the life throws at you, gallantly. In short, it means, TRUSTING in your worth!
However, sadly enough – we often find ourselves struggling to identify the “piece of courage” to believe in ourselves!
How many times have we belittled ourselves reasoning and doubting our capabilities? How many times have we constrained all our desires, curbed each need and banned ourselves of happiness and pleasure since we do not think that we deserve it? Dismally, almost at every testing occasion that life throws at us! *bitter truth*

FACTS

People with low self-confidence tend to repel people around them. Their limiting mindsets and behavior makes them unbearable and a “drag” to be around. As per studies – Low self-esteem is a thinking disorder in which an individual views him/herself as inadequate, un-lovable, and/or incompetent. Once formed, this negative view permeates every thought, producing faulty assumptions and ongoing self-defeating behavior. It’s a vicious cycle of negativity, low self-esteem and failure that goes on for ever and ever!

“The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease for ever to be able to do it.” 
― J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

GOOD NEWS

The good news is that self-confidence is something you can improve! If you’re feeling less-than-celestial, these simple, actionable tips are for you (for the much-needed confidence boost) –

1 PUSH THROUGH SELF-LIMITING BELIEFS

Positive self talk makes you feel good about yourself and the things that are going on in your life. It’s like having an optimistic voice in your head that always looks on the bright side. Remember, if you keep telling yourself you’re not good, regularly – you might just start believing it, even though it’s not true – augmenting your disappointment in yourself. Try countering your negative thoughts with positive ones. Believe in yourself! By working on replacing negative self-talk with more positive self-talk, you’re more likely to feel in control of stuff that’s going on in your life and to achieve your goals.

2 WORK THAT BODY

Like literally! Sometimes all it takes is a good, lengthening stretch to feel like your happiest self. Stretching your muscles can lead to good posture, better blood flow and ultimately more confidence! A walk in the park, a nice work-out session at the gym, a cycling trip to the near-by trail – whatever works to ease your consciousness!

3 TRUST YOUR CAPABILITIES

DO NOT let anyone tell you that you can’t do it! Cultivating a “cordial” relationship of trust with yourself is one of the most important things that you should do in order to gain that lost confidence. Remember, when you like yourself and treat yourself with respect and love, you influence others to do the same.

4 DON’T BEAT YOURSELF WHEN YOU MAKE A MISTAKE

Be gentle with yourself! Instead of crying about what is missing, use each opportunity, good or bad, to grow. Remember, everyone has ups and downs! Resolve to recover from your mistakes and get back on track. Stop with that “self bullying” immediately and start with being compassionate and kind towards yourself.

5 FACE YOUR FEARS

Face your fears and enjoy the ride! Well, the only difference between you and the successful people you admire is that they are willing to work and move through their fears in order to get where they want to be. Tell yourself, “This fear will pass.” Remind yourself, “I can do it.” And you’ll see that you eventually can/will!

6 OVERCOME SELF-DOUBT

Self-doubt is a special kind of “self-inflicted” pain, that makes you question yourself and your abilities, eventually forcing you to believe and feel like you aren’t good enough or smart enough to do anything. Remember, you “uniqueness” is what makes you, YOU! Be happy with what you have (your competences and abilities) and concentrate on magnifying your happiness by appreciating the little joys of life. YES, be your “biggest fan” and show yourself some loving!

7 STOP COMPARING YOURSELF TO OTHERS

One of the easiest ways to feel bad about oneself is to compare yourself critically to others. We may be tempted to compare ourselves with those who have more accomplishments, seem more attractive, make more money, or boast more (aka The Facebook friends!) Comparison is scarring! It eats away your ability to be content and confident about yourself. Be happy with what you have and concentrate on magnifying your happiness by appreciating the little joys of life. Remember, everyone is great at something. Concentrate on YOUR strengths!

“Because one believes in oneself, one doesn’t try to convince others. Because one is content with oneself, one doesn’t need others’ approval. Because one accepts oneself, the whole world accepts him or her.” 
― Lao Tzu

Smiling often, volunteering for a cause, grooming yourself for that dapper look, clearing your clutter, standing tall, listening to music before you step off the door every morning, giving out compliments and appreciating people around you – are a few other ways to work up that confidence!

Remember, self-confidence is a “thought process” where you condition your mind to believe that nothing is impossible. It is a “way of life” which aims at not being the best but rather being brave and convinced enough to strive for fulfillment and sublimity. It is about believing in your own self and remembering that you are capable and worthy – just as much as anyone else, regardless of what you’ve achieved, regardless of what mistakes you’ve made!

Let me know how you build confidence in the comments below!

Sending empowering vibes!  💋

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Photo credits:  Iscriblr, feature:  creccord’l.tumblr.com, savostina.com