Nurturing Self-Confidence

Question: I have studied numerous spirituality and all sorts of self help across the board. My number one thing I still struggle with is insecurity and confidence. On a spiritual standpoint; I believe confidence comes from believing in yourself- knowing, that your capable of doing things..but in order to believe in oneself you need experience to have the belief???? I get torn because I take chances, step out of my comfort zone and do things to push myself; but then become reliant on those "things" for my confidence that isn’t right is it? My question is based on your teachings and on a spirituality level how do I find true confidence in myself without relying on "external events" to drive my confidence? I know how I think about myself is only a thought and isn't real; is there something I can do besides meditation, journaling, affirmations, that I do on a regular basis? I'm not going to give up, and I know that’s a huge part of it! Answer: rnThe most important factor in genuine or spiritual self-confidence is the Self. If self-confidence is only based on changing circumstances and abilities that led to accomplishments, then when those things change, as they inevitably will, so will your sense of self-confidence. That is the problem, which you noted above, when you become reliant on those external events for your confidence. rnThe true foundation of self-confidence comes through knowledge and experience of your true Self through meditation. From there, adding affirmations, journaling and stretching beyond your comfort zone are all useful adjuncts. So I don’t think you need to add anything new to your list, but give your top priority to meditation and then be patient and persistent in your progress toward self-confidence. rnLove,rnDeepak