Curious about Confidence: Do You Have Enough? How Does It Help You?

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.'” - Eleanor Roosevelt, American First Lady

“Confidence is contagious. So is lack of confidence.” - Vince Lombardi, American coach

Have you ever noticed how a word starts popping up around you? Do you feel, as I do, that it brings a message with it that we need to think about and focus on.

Well, two weeks ago, Lee H. Bienstock, an Apprentice contestant spoke at a dinner I attended. He shared what it was like to get on and participate in the show. He answered many questions. The ones I found the most fascinating were what made him successful - confidence and being unique. Thinking these answers over, I realized that to be unique, we must have confidence!

Then, in a recent issue of the daily Early to Rise (ETR) e-newsletter there appeared an article by Peggy McColl (author of Your Destiny Switch - which just arrived) about confidence. She wrote, “Confidence is a belief in yourself and your abilities that delivers to you the things you want. What you desire may not come exactly when you expect it, or in the form you'd imagined, but make no mistake: Confidence is a tremendously powerful emotion that will change your vibration and bring you what you hope for.”

Finally, last night I was listening to an interview of Joe Vitale who shared that he has always wanted to be a writer. Right now, he is an incredibly successful writer of “too many books to list.” When asked how one knows what he or she wants to do with passion, Joe answered that we already know, but often lack the confidence to admit it to ourselves and then go ahead and do it.

So, I ask you, “Do you have the confidence to pursue your passion and dreams?” Fortunately, there are many experts who will help you pursue and achieve confidence.

I feel that many of the quotations I found are filled with good and useful advice:

• “Action is a great restorer and builder of confidence. Inaction is not only the result, but the cause, of fear. Perhaps the action you take will be successful; perhaps different action or adjustments will have to follow. But any action is better than no action at all.” - Norman Vincent Peale, American clergyman
• “Have confidence that if you have done a little thing well, you can do a bigger thing well too.” - David Storey, British novelist
• “Count your blessings. Once you realize how valuable you are and how much you have going for you, the smiles will return, the sun will break out, the music will play, and you will finally be able to move forward the life that God intended for you with grace, strength, courage, and confidence.” - Og Mandino, American author
• “Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.” - Marie Curie, Polish scientist
• “I believe that my clothes can give people a better image of themselves - that it can increase their feelings of confidence and happiness.” - Giorgio Armani, Italian designer

Then, there is a bit of a twist or a tweak:

• “Honor bespeaks worth. Confidence begets trust. Service brings satisfaction. Cooperation proves the quality of leadership.” - James Cash Penney, American businessman
• “Confidence is preparation. Everything else is beyond your control.” - Richard Kline, American actor
• “But I guess the lesson is this: If you don't have confidence in yourself and think that you are worth hiring, or whatever it is, you can't expect anyone else to.” - Sam Donaldson, American journalist
• “I want to work with the top people, because only they have the courage and the confidence and the risk-seeking profile that you need.” - James Joyce, Irish novelist
• “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” - Helen Keller, American author
• “There is a difference between conceit and confidence. Conceit is bragging about yourself. Confidence means you believe you can get the job done.” - Johnny Unitas, American athlete

And here are two to think about and tide you over this coming week:

• “Confidence is a lot of this game or any game. If you don't think you can, you won't.” - Jerry West, American artist
• “Regardless of how you feel inside, always try to look like a winner. Even if you are behind, a sustained look of control and confidence can give you a mental edge that results in victory.” - Diane Arbus, American photographer

Just remember that action and the implementation of your ideas will give you the confidence you need to proceed. Even when everything doesn't work out as planned, we will develop the confidence to keep on keeping on!