Hope you have read Part 1 and have been practicing. This blog is in continuation – Building your self-confidence.
A few days ago, a friend of mine mentioned how amazing she found Stephen Hawking, Sudha Chandran, Arunima Sinha. Don’t you agree? We can learn so much from their grit and hard work. The way they overcame adversity and achieved success. They are examples of confident people who pushed the bar.
Is confidence a trait that only a few people possess? We can all be confident about some skill or a trait that we have. You may sing or paint well, be good at sports or you are a helpful person, a trait to be proud of! If you haven’t discovered something to be proud about, look deeper and you’ll find that special gift. In any case there is no cause for you to lose hope. Follow the tips given in the two blogs to develop your self-confidence.
- Be a Learner
Surround yourself with confident people. How they go about doing things, with energy and enthusiasm. How they achieve their goals. We can learn a lot from them. Let their confidence rub off on you.
In ‘Wings of Fire’, Dr Kalam mentions the positive effects of working with confident people.
At a time when the Indian Space Research Organization was struggling to make a successful launch, he cites the example of Dr Satish Dhawan and other seniors in the organization working tirelessly, constantly encouraging everybody in the team to stay focused and positive. Their efforts paid off and today the Indian Space Research Organisation is a success story.
- Help others
You must have had an opportunity to help a friend, family member or an animal. How did that make you feel? Do you remember the glow? Think if you could repeat that feeling over and over again!
Involving yourself in social causes is one way to do this. Helping others makes you happy. It increases your self-worth and in turn your self-confidence. Do good to feel good!
- Visualise success
A vital factor to feeling confident is to Think of yourself achieving what you’ve set out to achieve. Do three things – (1) Take time daily to sit down in a quiet place and introspect. Introspection will help you understand yourself and your aspirations.
(2) Another method is to Visualise yourself succeeding. You want to get a job, imagine the whole process and see yourself going through it and getting the offer letter.
(3) Confident people hold themselves straight. Practice the winner’s pose – Hands raised, chest out, big smile!
Psychologists believe practicing this action daily, especially before an interview or an important meeting helps. It signals your brain to think of yourself as a success. So walk into the interview or meeting feeling and being more confident.
- Have a Hobby
Do you like to sing, paint, write, run, collect key chains, stamps? I hope you do. Why? A hobby is an activity or interest that a person undertakes for pleasure and to relax. It’s a way to feel happy. So spending time with your hobby will make you happy and feel confident
- Exercise & Eat healthy
Those of you who are into some form of regular exercise and eat healthy are definitely reaping the benefits. You are happy and confident, as both Exercise and Healthy food stimulate and relax your mind and body.
- Be well groomed
Be attentive to how you look and come across to others. Dress smart. It’s an easy way to feel confident!
Practising the tips mentioned in Parts 1 & 2 – Building & Boosting Self-Confidence will surely help in you become a role model for others to follow. A note of caution: Be wary of being over confident as it leads to arrogance. And that’s not what you want others to think of you as.
“Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight or any experience that reveals the human spirit.” – E E Cummings
To accomplish all that you aspire for believe that You Will and You Can!
Good luck!