Confidence is Critical to Your Well-Being and Success.

Have you ever been humiliated by someone attempting to control you and force you to do their bidding? I was this week, and I hated it. Unfortunately, I backed down when I should have shown confidence.

The tears of anger in my eyes were mistaken for depression.

Did she realize my tears were from anger? I bit my lip instead of telling her what a complete idiot she was. It was one of the rare moments in my life when I truly wanted to lash out and slap someone.

I controlled my actions, but my tears spoke volumes of the respect I was showing to someone who had no concept of the meaning of that word.

Do Other People’s Opinions Govern Your Actions?

Mom reminded me repeatedly that it didn’t matter whether I was doing the right thing, what mattered was what others thought. Were you raised to believe your actions needed to be governed by what the neighbors might think?

I have always believed in doing the right thing, regardless of the criticism of others. My choice of friends was based on honesty, integrity, and caring. It never had anything to do with someone’s station in life.

It’s always been important to surround myself with people who are willing to take a chance and go the extra mile for me if necessary. In other words, I want someone who exudes confidence in everything they do, including their faith in friends.

If you insist on staying in your comfort zone to avoid risk, you will never make the friendships that will hold you up in the darkest of times.

Can You Accept Compliments Graciously?

How many times have you complimented someone on how they looked, only to have them respond with something like: “This old thing?”

To gain the confidence you’ll need to get the job or promotion you want; you have to learn to say simply “Thank You!”

Confidence isn’t about being superior. It’s about owning everything that’s already great about you. Don’t diminish your worth with an off-handed remark when someone wants to compliment you.

Low self-esteem can be self-destructive.

Don’t put yourself down in this life. There’s always someone waiting around the next corner who is going to try to do that to you. They exist in every profession. Refuse to allow them to control your ability to make your mark in this world.

Discover Your Strengths

You’re not going to be able to show confidence until you recognize your strengths. Take a few minutes to create a “Confidence Journal.” No one is immune from challenges.

The key in life: Don’t lose sight of hope. You can teach yourself to be confident. Writing down the things I recommended will help you get there.

Your journal should include six sections:

•  One: List Your Achievements (Go all the way back to grade school)
•  Two: List Your Greatest Strengths
•  Three: List the Things You Still Want To Do in Life
•  Four: List those Things You Want to Learn
•  Five: Set Goals (Set One Major Goal and no less than Five Minor Goals)
•  Six: Positive Actions

Once you have your journal in place, put it where you can look at it each day and update it.

Start looking confident. Dress well, and learn to accept compliments given honestly and graciously.

Learn to be assertive when talking to others. Your opinion is as critical as anyone else’s. If they refuse to listen to you, they may not be someone who’s company you want to keep.

At the end of each day, go back to your journal and list each and every positive thing that happened to you that day.You can improve your confidence level by following these simple steps. Can you add any more?