5 Tips for Instant Confidence 
“The beauty you see in me is a reflection of you” ~ Rumi
Most of us want a little more confidence whether it’s inviting someone out on date, selling a service or product or plucking up the courage to ask for a well deserved pay rise. But some people have such low confidence that they lose their power and get dragged towards another person’s dream because they lack the tenacity to follow their own.
Truth is that confidence isn’t something you can magically wake up with one morning unless you’ve been subject to a miraculous upgrade in your sleep and woken up as someone else. Building confidence takes time and persistence so we can evolve into different ways of being and believing.
Having the strength to make decisions for yourself has a big impact on how your life transforms and being that we live in a world of free will, why let someone else decide how your story will go? When I was a young nerdy teenager I had very low self esteem, I was too shy to speak up in class and missed many opportunities to enhance my learning ability as I was afraid to question something I didn’t understand. Fortunately I was able to put my strengths to good use later on in life but I certainly know what it’s like to feel invisible and lack self-belief.
The secret to having more confidence and self-esteem starts from the relationship we have with ourselves and building in new techniques and behaviours to ignite our inner resources. Confidence comes with practicing and learning new ways of being, so if you want more confidence, the best thing to do is start stretching some unfamiliar boundaries.
Here are 5 tips on how you can begin to strengthen your confidence:
- Repetition
Take action on an activity once a day that pushes you out of your comfort zone, or repeat something that is uncomfortable so it no longer has the same emotional effect on you. The result is the fear will diminish and the negative affect lessens in your neurology system so things become easier the more you do them.
- Internal Self Talk
Notice the relationship you have with your body and how you speak to yourself throughout the day. Practice positive internal self talk because that will have a big impact on how you feel about yourself and perceive the outside world.
- Body Language
Change your body language. Body and mind are connected so body language has a significant impact on your mindset. Whilst lying down, think of something negative or something that makes you unhappy. Then stand up and jog on the spot for 1 minute. Bring in the same thought and notice the difference in your feelings surrounding that thought.
- Little Voices
We have all experienced hearing a little voice in our head telling us that we are not good enough or that there is no point in trying as we will only fail. Did you know that your little voices have a positive intention for you? It is your subconscious protecting you and keeping you safe and away from danger. When you want to take action on an idea that is unfamiliar and your little voice comes in, change the tone to Gonzo from the Muppets and see if it still has the same effect.
- Goal Setting
Make goals and decide what it is you want to achieve as part of your confidence building. Many people push the responsibility of their success on to other people giving away their personal power and accountability. As a result they sleep walk through their life. The more you can achieve for yourself, the more empowered you will feel.
Write out what you see, hear or feel as you ponder this thought:
Imagine it is now the future, a few years before the end of your life. You never took action to create the changes you want in your life. How do you feel? What does it inspire you to do, or not do now?
