The Keys to Building Self Confidence
Many of us know that we would benefit from increased
self-confidence; after all, a lack of it is easy enough to
identify! If you lack self-confidence, you are more likely to
let people treat you badly or take advantage of you. You might
also have a tendency to fall short of your real potential at
work or school, or in your interpersonal relationships. If any
of these descriptions sound like you, chances are, you need to
work on your self-confidence. But actually building
self-confidence can be a long road - it isn't as simple as it
sounds. Here are some tips for building self-confidence to get
you on your way.
First, the key to self confidence is to love yourself, and this
can be difficult if you weren't raised with a sense of
unconditional love or support. That doesn't mean that your
parents didn't love you - but some may have had trouble showing
it, or they may have been so anxious for you to grow up 'right'
that some disapproving messages were sent out. As children, we
pick these up unconsciously, and grow to beleive them. To build
self-confidence, it's time to let go of self-critical thinking.
Wherever you are at the moment is a fine starting point. There
is no need to criticise or berate yourself for what you percieve
as your deficiencies.
Second, identify what you are really good at and enjoy, and
perfect that skill. The better you are at what you do, and the
more positive feedback you recieve, the higher your
self-confidence will be. Many of us have the perception that we
don't enjoy working hard - this usually isn't the case if the
work you are doing is right for you. Once that happpens, you
will likely feel confident, skilled and productive.
Finally, a great way of building your self-confidence is to
occasionally challenge yourself, maybe even doing things that
scare you a little now and then. Start small - do something you
haven't done before, but that doesn't take you too far out of
your personal comfort zone. Then, build on that. As you start
taking more chances and becoming more adventurous, your sense of
self will expand. If you really enjoy life and the work you are
doing, building self-confidence should be a natural by-product.
It becomes something that evolves on its own rather than
something you work on, and the rewards will be great in all
aspects of your life!