By Cari Vollmer
Imagine this day: You wake up in the morning, feeling
well-rested and at peace because you know, beyond a shadow
of a doubt, what you need to do to live the life you most
want. You have a clear vision of what you want your life to
look and feel like and a sound strategy that will get you
there. In fact, not only does the future look promising;
TODAY feels great. You are proud of yourself. You feel
confident in your ability to create and live the life you
most want, today and well into the future.
How you feel about yourself plays an important role in your
ability to live your best life. With a healthy
self-confidence (aka, self-image, self-esteem,
self-respect) you'll take more chances and overcome
obstacles -- faster. You'll set your SELF in motion which
will set the world around you in motion. You'll get what
you want and each time you do your confidence will soar and
the belief you have in yourself will grow stronger. You'll
see life through the eyes of a person who not only BELIEVES
they can do it - you WILL do it!
How do you BOOST your self-confidence? Here are 5
easy-to-try-out tips.
1. Speak well of yourself. In the Four Agreements, Don
Miguel Ruiz writes, "Through the word you express your
creative power. It is through the word you manifest
everything. . your intent manifests through your word.
Depending on how it is used, the word can set you free, or
it can enslave you even more than you know."
We become what we think about most of the time. We become
what we say about ourselves. If you continually tell
yourself you "can't do something", or that you "don't have
what it takes", you're sure to create that reality for
yourself, because that is how you see yourself. On the
other hand, if you repeatedly say and think to yourself
something like, "I am capable of creating a life I love",
soon you will begin creating a life you love.
Speak well of yourself and you'll begin believing you do
have what it takes to create and live the life you most
want.
2. Surround yourself with self-confident people and
positive environments. Sounds a bit obvious, but if you
have friends that lack confidence, you probably do too.
That's because your environment, what and who you surround
yourself with, plays a big role in how you see and treat
yourself.
Negative environments are hard to break free from but break
free is what you must do. If you're surrounded by people
who criticize others (and you) and speak poorly of
themselves - get out! Remove yourself from their company.
In fact, no company is better than toxic company. Seek out
friends who are confident and you'll feel your confidence
increasing.
3. Take action on what you say you're going to take action
on or don't say it! Don't say you're going to do something
unless you really intend to do it. We've all experienced
the "big talker" - the person who talks about their big
plans but never does anything to make them happen. The "big
talker" loses face because no one believes they'll do what
they say they're going to do.
Don't lose face with yourself. ONLY talk about things you
intend to take action on or don't talk about them. Walk
your talk. Keep your promises. Be impeccable with your
words and you'll become a person of integrity. Integrity
breeds confidence.
4. Accept fear and obstacles as a natural part of life -
and growth. Don't beat yourself up when you find yourself
gripped by fear and other emotions. Don't judge yourself
for having these feelings. And don't feel like you're
inadequate or don't have what it takes. From time to time,
everyone feels afraid, confused and out of sorts. Be aware
when these feelings are present but don't let them stop
you. Keep moving forward by telling yourself you're much
more than the obstacles you face and failures you
experience.
5. Take time out to focus on all that you have done well.
Once a month, take a few moments to write down all that you
have done well - it's probably more than you think.
Acknowledge the work you do, your strengths and
accomplishments on a regular basis. In doing so, you'll
begin seeing yourself as a person who does things right and
gets things done. You'll begin seeing and appreciating all
the good you do.
Practice just one of these tips and you'll start feeling
better about yourself. Practice more than one on a
consistent basis and your life will change - guaranteed!
You deserve to live a life you feel great about. Don't
settle for less because you lack the confidence to go after
what you want. BOOST your confidence and you'll wake up
each morning feeling like anything's possible!
"To have that sense of one's intrinsic worth which
constitutes self-respect is potentially to have
everything." JOAN DIDION
Cari Vollmer, personal growth expert, is the founder of
LifeOnTrack.com and
InspireYourDay.com. For practical life
strategies and success tips, sign up for LifeOnTrack.com's
FREE e-zine, LivingOnTrack, at
http://www.LifeOnTrack.com