I believe we all need a reminder of why self-confidence goes a long way and why we need to cultivate it.
Self-confidence is the link to almost every element involved in a happy, fulfilling life. It’s important to understand these key benefits we reap when we have confidence on our side: less fear and anxiety, greater motivation, more resilience, improved relationships, and a stronger sense of our authentic self.
The more confidence we build in ourselves, the more equipped we’ll be to quiet those pesky little voices telling us, “I can’t do this.” When a person suffers from low self-confidence, it’s a common tendency to mull over worries and past mistakes on replay to the point of nauseating oneself. By filling our tank with confidence, we can break the over-thinking cycle and quiet the inner critic. We just need to believe in ourselves. Each of us must tell ourselves, “I Got This.”
Building confidence means celebrating small victories and taking small steps towards bigger ones. It’s not a race, and there might be setbacks to overcome along the way, and that’s OK. As our confidence grows, we’ll be more driven to reach new goals and stretch our abilities. The dreaded “What if thoughts will still rear their ugly heads. “What if I fail?” “What if I embarrass myself?” oh, that nagging “What if?” can be quite paralyzing. We’ll likely find it requires a lot of perseverance to free ourselves of self-doubt to pursue the goals that mean something to us. Once again, let’s tell ourselves loud and proud, “I Got This.” And punch on through.
Self-confidence doesn’t mean we won’t sometimes fail at a task or a goal we set for ourselves. It does, however, equip us with skills and coping mechanisms to handle those setbacks or failures. The confidence we build within will help us handle challenges instead of being crippled by them. Even when things turn out so far compared to what we planned, we’ll find the tools needed to avoid the circling thoughts, the ones where we’d beat ourselves up. As we keep pushing ourselves and try new things, the more we’ll understand how setbacks, mistakes, and failures are necessary to grow. We must first accept and be willing to fail before we can start to succeed. It’s a weird lesson, but let’s trust in it and keep telling ourselves, “I Got This.” and try new things. If we fail, try again and again.
As counterintuitive as it might seem, we’ll focus less on ourselves when we have more self-confidence. We’ve all been that person walking into a room thinking, “They’re all looking at me. They all think I look undressed, overdressed, or like something’s wrong with me.” Everyone is so caught up in their own worries they probably don’t give two cents about what anyone’s wearing. When we get out of our heads, we’ll be able to genuinely engage with others. Enjoy interactions more because we won’t be caught up in our worried thoughts wondering what kind of impressing we’re making, and we’ll stop comparing ourselves to others. Being fully present will let us notice things clearer, like if our date is down or that friend needs a shoulder to cry. Without being preoccupied with our own doubt, we make room for our empathy to breed, and we can be the person who reaches out to help others.
Finally, confidence is the root of who we are. We’ll be able to accept our weaknesses without changing our self-worth. We’ll celebrate our strengths, and our actions will align with our principles, giving us a greater sense of purpose. We’ll know who we are and what we stand for and have the skill set to show up, stand up, and speak up. Our best self will be able to shine through.
Let’s all strive to cultivate that self-confidence to enjoy rich and happy lives.
ROXANNA CROSS 
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