DAY 67 - BEING CONFIDENT

Day 67

Some people look like they are just breathing with self-confidence while others visibly suffer from insecurities. Both nature and nurture will play a determining role in the self-confidence level of a person.   

It might vary from one area of life to another.  I know a number of professionally competent and confident people who become very insecure in social settings, and vice versa. 

I remember the first time I stood in front of 30 students.  I was so nervous and insecure, I thought I was going to literally lose consciousness.  I survived the experience and now, when I begin a new group, I’m not anxious, but excited to meet my students.  Self-confidence can be acquired with time and practise.

 

Feeling insecure is not necessarily negative.  It is true that if you wallow in it and it affects your self-esteem, it will have a negative impact on your life.  On the other hand, when handled properly, insecurities can become a driving force for you to work harder at achieving your goals.   It becomes a problem when they turn into fear and immobilize you.

In the past, I have noticed that overconfident people sometimes lack introspection and depth.  If you never question yourself, you cannot progress.  You end up stagnating.  By the same token, if you question yourself too much, you become inert and unproductive.

Insecurities need to be dealt with, especially when they become paralyzing.   By knowing what triggers that feeling (i.e. caring too much about what people think, being too much of a perfectionist) and developing tools to fight it (i.e. accepting your strengths and weaknesses, becoming more courageous), it is possible to increase self-confidence and, as a result have a more positive outlook on life.