How To Become Confident ?
In this article, I will explain how you can build confidence in yourself and trust in others.
First, you must learn that there are three types of confidence.
Sometimes, our lack of self-confidence can be traced to our childhoods, when we did not receive enough respect, appreciation, and recognition. Nevertheless, we should not be so quick as to point fingers at our parents. They gave us everything they could, after all.
I encourage you to work on your self-esteem on your own. Learn to love yourself by going to therapy, through coaching, by living consciously. Nurture yourself.
We find it difficult to trust others because we may have shared bad experiences with someone else in the past. So, when we encounter people in similar situations, we experience something called emotional elasticity and project our past experiences onto them.
But it is you who decides whether you will be haunted by your past your entire life, or not. Though it is important to maintain a healthy dose of skepticism and vigilance, it is just as important not to overdo it. If you shut yourself off completely, you will be giving up new experiences and relationships coming your way. By declining such opportunities, you are depriving yourself of joy.
We may be reluctant to extend trust to someone, be it one person or a group of people, because of their behavior or actions. Under these circumstances, our distrust is legitimate.
If you continue to engage with such people, you would be wise to safeguard yourself by voicing your concerns about their behavior, should you wish to maintain that relationship. You can also decide to end it.
First, I want you make it your daily habit to look at yourself in the mirror and say “I love and accept you the way you are” with all earnestness. Do this after you wake up and before you go to bed.
Secondly, dare to ask for things you previously kept to yourself, that you were not bold enough to act on before. By doing so, you will create new neural pathways, which will help these behaviors take root. Being confident will thus become muscle memory.
We are creatures of habit, but you should be brave enough to try new things. It will be uncomfortable at first, but this will allow you to grow accustomed to leaving your comfort zone. For example, you could try moving to a different seat at the dinner table.
Finally, learn to say no without hesitation, clearly, and unequivocally. Of course, be respectful and gracious when you do. By saying “no” to others, you are saying “yes” to yourself. Always make sure you are not agreeing to something at your own expense.
I am a Brussels-based certified life coach here to advise and help clients, especially business owners and managers, in both personal and professional matters.
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