Everything starts with you. To bring out the best in yourself, it is your 'moral obligation to learn and progress.' In his book Primary Greatness: The 12 Levers of Success, Stephen Covey wrote, 'We all have a moral obligation to learn and progress. And lifelong learning is not so much about big campaigns, programs, academic degrees, and credentials, as it is about short daily study sessions and small doses of relevant on-the-job training.''If your dream is to get to the top of your career, you are not going to get there if you do not have the courage to learn new things every day. If you want to win, invest in yourself. Success comes to those who never stop learning. If you want to win, learn.
'Stay present with yourself.' To bring out the best in yourself, you must not forget yourself. Take care of your mind, your soul, and your body. To do that, in her book Awaken Your Inner Fire: Ignite Your Passion, Find Your Purpose, and Create the Life That You Love, Heatherash Amara writes, 'Move slowly. Love your body exactly the way as it is. Don't push, invite. Don't force, inspire. Don't judge, guide. Listen, and you will know when it is time to pull your energy in close and revitalize, and when it's time to see your inner energy to feed your physical body. Experiment. Stay present with yourself.''Lead your life. If you want others to follow you, you have got to develop the courage to lead your life. If you are not in charge of your own life, who is? According to Jamie Smart, author of Results: Think Less. Achieve More, 'You are the leader of your life, and you always have been. You can choose the results you want to create. And live into the choices you make.'' This is very important. Because if you are not in charge of your life, you can't change your life? You can change what you control, not what you do not control. So if you want to lead a better life, you have got to be the boss of your life.Confidence. Confidence. Confidence. You can't do much for yourself if you are not confident in yourself. Remember, confidence is not arrogance. Confidence is humility. If you want to create your life, do not fear to do things differently. Because that is how we grow. You won't grow if you do not believe in yourself. According to Mike Babcock, 'Confidence enables you to make strong choices. Confidence helps you get beyond doubt. Confidence gets you ready for big moments.' If you are not confident, you will find it hard to leave your comfort zone.
True confidence doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time to grow. It takes time to cultivate. If you do not have it, do not beat yourself up. Just be patient with yourself. Do not be scared to do things that can help you gain your true confidence.
As William Hazllit once said, “As is our confidence, so is our capacity.” When you believe in yourself, when you have confidence in yourself, there is nothing you cannot do. You are not afraid of new ideas. You are not afraid to try new things. You are not afraid to challenge the status quo. And you are not afraid to commit yourself to a long-term growth. That is where you should be.
Be fearless, but don’t be careless.
Truly confident people do things differently. They behave differently. They attack problems differently. And they see things differently. According to Amy Cuddy,“A truly confident person does not require arrogance, which is nothing more than a smoke screen for insecurity. A confident person- knowing and believing in her identity- carries tools, not weapons. A confident person does not need to one-up anyone else. A confident person can be present to others, hear their perspectives, and integrate those views in ways that create value for everyone.”
Do not fake it till you make it. If you do not have it, with practice, you will have it.
Further Reading:
Cuddy, A., Presence: Bringing your BOLDEST SELF to your BIGGEST CHALLENGES (New York: Hachette Book Group, 2015): 33.
You must be logged in to post a comment.