Confidence is the silent power that shapes our lives, influencing how we perceive ourselves and how others perceive us.
We assume people who achieve greatness have high levels of confidence as it seems to offer its occupants large quantities of opportunities and healthy relationships. It is the quality we hope our children grow up to have. Confidence is key, it seems, for a good life.
For those who already have confidence, they may not even think about it. It just feels natural to them and they may even take that for granted. For others, it seems like it is a most elusive quality. I myself had to google its exact definition as I have most definitely had a lack of confidence for most of my life.
Definition of Confidence
Confidence is the belief in one’s abilities, qualities, and judgement. It involves a sense of self-assurance and trust in oneself, allowing individuals to take risks, face challenges, and engage with others without excessive doubt or fear.
Confident Person = Compassionate Inner Dialogue
The way I interpret confidence is that it’s the external form of our internal dialogue. Someone who lacks confidence would have a voice that is demeaning, doubting their every move, instilling fear of failure and creating discord throughout relationships by interpreting all behaviour from others as negative. This isn’t an enjoyable state to be in at all.
Mindfulness techniques like the ones listed below, help us to switch this voice to a positive, life affirming, compassionate and encouraging voice and therefore increasing our confidence and attracting more opportunities and happiness into our lives.
Where Does a Lack of Confidence Come From?
Most of our inner dialogue conditioning (up to 95%) exists within our subconscious mind that is programmed in childhood. Even if you grew up with loving caring parents that you are very grateful for, if one of them had their own confidence issues, they may have influenced your inner voice. Children are extremely perceptive to the subtle inner state of their parents and caregivers.
Recognising your inner child whose first exposure to learning how to treat themselves was not as kind as you as an adult would choose today is a very powerful thought to hold.
What does a confident person look like?
Visualisation techniques are an extremely powerful way to transform yourself into a more confident person. When we imagine a scenario playing out that makes us feel good – we take a step toward becoming confident and this transforms our lives as well as the lives of those around us. A confident person is a joy to be around – they are medicine to others.
“We always attract into our lives whatever we think about most, believe most strongly, expect on the deepest level, and imagine most vividly.”
― Shakti Gawain, Creative Visualization
Go through this list of scenarios and imagine yourself as a confident person.
Daily Habits of a Confident Person:
Interactions of a Confident Person:
Thoughts of a Confident Person:
Making This Shift is a Process
It is important to recognise yourself on a journey and to allow the shift to greater confidence happen gradually. Changing our subconscious programing and instilling a compassionate inner dialogue is a big shift that ebbs and flows. We have good days and we have bad days but everyday is a new chance to choose a more positive way by using tools and techniques that are proven to work.
Mindfulness Techniques to Increase Confidence
Here are three ways you can use mindfulness techniques to increase your confidence. Taking deep and steady belly breaths throughout will help you integrate all of these techniques into the long-term – so you can be that calm, cool & confident person you always knew was within you.
1. The first step to embodying confidence is to become aware of your inner dialogue
2. The next step is to feed your mind with compassionate encouragement in the form of positive affirmations like the following:
3. Finally, focus on feeling gratitude for all of the positivity in your life
Mindfulness Helps Us Find Confidence in the NOW
It may only be a seedling amount of confidence that we possess but with the nourishing presence of our awareness, we can help that seed to grow as big as a tree. Using these techniques will support you to expand on what already exists within you. I hope you can use these techniques to bring more happiness & fulfilment to your life.
