Confidence Is a Catalyst for Success

Ever since I read the book "Think and Grow Rich," by Napoleon Hill, I've been fascinated with the idea that an invisible energy called "thought" can have such a profound impact on our happiness, financial circumstances, and the ability to attract desirable conditions and people into our lives. My knowledge and interest in the topic was further fueled by personal development authors, such as Wayne Dyer, Tony Robbins, Esther and Jerry Hicks, Deepak Chopra, Eckhart Tolle, Joseph Murphy, Debbie Ford, and many others. After studying and practicing the principles of positive thinking and the Law of Attraction for the past few decades, it's become clear to me that the thoughts we cultivate and the habits we carve out are responsible for the quality of our lives and our ability to turn intentions into physical reality. Building Confidence is Key One of the most powerful resources for attracting happiness, abundance, and love into your life is self confidence. If you don't believe in yourself and have the ability to boost your confidence on an as-needed basis, you'll find yourself missing opportunities, undermining your own efforts, and failing to make the most of your limitless potential. The amazing thing about self confidence is that it has a magnetic, almost magical quality to it. All things being equal, confident people are usually the ones who are the most persuasive, attractive, influential, and well liked. People who know how to build self confidence in themselves tend to be more successful in their careers, their love life, and their finances. The good news about self confidence is that is can be developed, restored, and/or strengthened through the application of some basic strategies. By increasing your awareness of your body language, the words you say, and the thoughts you think, you can take the corrective action necessary to build confidence, overcome a lack of confidence, and repair your self esteem. At the risk of oversimplifying, the secret to gaining self confidence and neutralizing the havoc that negativity can wreak in your life is to follow the advice of that old song written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer back in 1944: "Accentuate The Positive" ...and eliminate the negative! When you talk to and about yourself, you can have a profound effect on your self esteem, motivation, and confidence by choosing empowering words, thoughts, and philosophies. Try this: The next time you're faced with a potential opportunity or challenge, why not give yourself a pep talk, instead of belittling yourself and questioning your abilities or value? Having a few affirmations, mantras, or motivating quotes in your mind can help propel you forward, make the most of every situation, and seize the moment whenever opportunity knocks! Begin by finding or creating a few positive affirmations that are meaningful and inspirational to you. Then, whenever you need a confidence boost, you can focus on those thoughts or words that inspire, motivate, or uplift you. Give Yourself the Gift of Confidence All too many people hold themselves back with the following misconception: "Confidence is something you're born with -- you either have it or you don't have it." The truth of the matter is that self confidence is the result of making a conscious decision to believe in yourself and then remaining committed to following through on that belief in everything you do, say, and think. It's not always easy, but neither is getting above-average grades at school, earning a good living, finding someone special to share your life with, exercising, losing weight, building relationships, or maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Nobody ever said it was going to be easy --and if they did, you might want to take a closer look at their motives, their veracity, or their definition of "easy."