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The pharmacist responded, "Better than that, sir. We give a comb with every bottle." Wouldn't you love to have that kind of confidence?
One man quipped, "When it comes to believing in myself, I'm an agnostic." One of the greatest problems many people experience is lack of confidence. Some don't believe they “have what it takes,” others are afraid to try something they've never done before, others hang back out of shyness and still others don’t believe they measure up to friends or colleagues.
Of course, those inner fears do not need to define you. Or control you. And one of the simplest ways to banish them is through healthy self-talk. It has taken most of a lifetime, but here are some things I now know about confidence:
- Your words and your thoughts have immense power. Be careful what you think and say.
- Be gentle with yourself. Don’t say you don’t like your body, your looks, your personality. Treat yourself like a good friend. (If you don’t, who will?)
- Don’t beat yourself up over mistakes. We all make them. Tell yourself you’ll do better next time and let it go.
- Remember what you do well and don’t worry about the rest. You have a unique contribution to this world.
- Remind yourself that it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. You may need to tell yourself this many times.
- Tell yourself that your fear will not hold you back. Tell yourself that you can do what you’re afraid to do. Encourage yourself.
Too many of us are not aware of the tremendous power of our words and thoughts. They are yeast in life’s dough. They quietly work deep inside until they eventually change the character of the dough itself. Those who move from fear to confidence, those who believe in themselves and are secure within, have learned to let the yeast of good words and thoughts grow - to work their magic.
And be assured - they will work their magic.
-- Steve Goodier
Image: Flickr.com/Stacy (Creative Commons)