{"id":115,"date":"2018-09-11T22:17:35","date_gmt":"2018-09-11T22:17:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.manifestationmiraclesite.com\/blog\/?p=115"},"modified":"2018-09-11T22:17:35","modified_gmt":"2018-09-11T22:17:35","slug":"the-truth-about-confidence-and-how-to-have-more-of-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/manifestationmiraclesite.com\/blog\/the-truth-about-confidence-and-how-to-have-more-of-it\/","title":{"rendered":"The Truth About Confidence (and How to Have More Of It!)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Author of Manifestation Miracle<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Do you want to unlock your inner power to manifest the life<\/strong> you’ve been dreaming of? Don’t forget to check out the\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>Manifestation Miracle<\/em><\/a>\u00a0program…<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Truth About Confidence (and How to Have More Of It!)<\/h2>\n

\u201cOnce we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit\u201d \u2015 E.E. Cummings<\/em><\/p>\n

Sal, a marketing manager, recently quit his job and was looking for a new one. After a few weeks of job hunting and getting\u00a0a lot of rejections<\/strong>, he was feeling down on his luck.<\/p>\n

Then one day, he got a call from one of the companies he had his eye on even before quitting his old job. His heart raced as they told him they could squeeze him in for an interview the next day.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve gotten turned down so many times already\u2026 and I really need this job. I don\u2019t know if I can do this,\u201d Sal said to himself.<\/p>\n

The following morning, Sal showed up bright and early at the interview, hoping to make a good impression.<\/p>\n

In fact, he was a\u00a0little<\/em>\u00a0too early, and the receptionist at the front desk gave him a scowl.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe time said, 10:00 am, and it\u2019s only 9:45,\u201d she growled.<\/p>\n

He felt his heart racing again. \u201cThis is not a good start,\u201d Sal thought.<\/p>\n

And by the time they called his name, he was anticipating the worst.<\/p>\n

However, Sal remembered that his skills matched the job description, and he knew he could do a good job.<\/p>\n

He reminded himself that it\u2019s just a matter of nerves, and he had to get over the feeling of being intimidated.<\/p>\n

Right at that moment, he decided to \u201cpretend\u201d feeling excited about the interview instead of terrified. As silly as it seemed, Sal figured it was better to replace his current emotion with a better one.<\/p>\n

He imagined how things would turn out, shaking hands with the interviewer and getting a job offer at the end of the conversation. That way, Sal managed to\u00a0trick himself<\/strong>\u00a0into looking forward to the experience.<\/p>\n

Sal still felt his heart pounding, but he managed to answer all the questions even though he tripped over some of his words from time to time.<\/p>\n

As he left the building and got into his car, a smile came over Sal\u2019s face. He felt proud of himself for putting his best foot forward even though his insides felt like jelly.<\/p>\n

A few days later, Sal got the call he was waiting for. The manager told him how he was impressed by how he did at the interview despite his nerves.<\/p>\n

The following day, Sal went back to the office and\u00a0signed a contract<\/strong>\u00a0with them.<\/p>\n

Do Some People Have It \u2013 And Some Don\u2019t?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Like Sal, there are plenty of people who aren\u2019t the picture of unshakable confidence. You probably know someone like this\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026or you might be even one of them.<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s nothing wrong with having some doubts and fears about yourself during a challenging situation.<\/p>\n

You might think of other people who seem confident and feel bad because you\u2019re not a \u201cnatural\u201d like them.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s a misconception \u2013 no one is actually born oozing with self-confidence. What you see is the result of habits and experience they\u2019ve\u00a0accumulated<\/strong>\u00a0over time.<\/p>\n

Things can happen along the way, and certain events can either make you feel more confident or bring you down. Challenges, failures and getting turned down are examples of the latter.<\/p>\n

And that inner voice of self-doubt makes things harder, too. There\u2019s no harsher critic than the one in your head.<\/p>\n

So it\u2019s really a matter of building up your level of self-confidence and keeping that voice at bay.<\/p>\n

By working on your inner world and developing the right mental habits, you can keep your confidence afloat in a sea of chaos.<\/p>\n

But\u00a0how<\/u>\u00a0do you get started?<\/p>\n

Mel Robbins, a speaker, author and life coach, talks about the \u201cfake kind of confidence.\u201d She doesn\u2019t believe in acting bossy to appear confident \u2013 this behavior is really driven by insecurity, which will be obvious to other people.<\/p>\n

And she says that confidence is NOT a personality trait, but a\u00a0SKILL<\/strong>. So like any skill, you can actually\u00a0develop it over time<\/em>\u00a0to feel less and less scared by new people and challenges.<\/p>\n

So here are a few ways you can start doing that today:<\/strong><\/p>\n

#1: Take Action and Break The Cycle<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Here\u2019s an undeniable truth: when a person is confident, they achieve more and get better results.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not feeling confident, your nerves take over, and you feel powerless to do anything. So you put off doing the things you dread and find excuses to bury your head in the sand.<\/p>\n

The trick then is to find a way to lose that fear that\u2019s holding you back from trying.<\/p>\n

And to do that, you need to start a healthy cycle called the\u00a0Confidence Competency Loop<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

This states that the\u00a0better you get at something, the more confident you get<\/em>.<\/p>\n

For example, if you were good at swimming, you\u2019re probably not afraid of going in the water.<\/p>\n

You know exactly how to keep your head above the surface and swim to safety.<\/p>\n

But what if I asked you to do something entirely different, like rock climbing?<\/p>\n

You\u2019d probably hesitate and feel that lack of self-confidence grow inside you.<\/p>\n

As such, the best way to\u00a0start a healthy feedback loop<\/strong>\u00a0of confidence is by\u00a0taking the first step<\/u>\u00a0\u2013 even if you do poorly.<\/p>\n

Remember, no one gets it right the first time.<\/p>\n

As you keep trying again, you\u2019ll get better and better until you stop making the same mistakes.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll strengthen the right muscles (both physical and mental), and your learning curve improves.<\/p>\n

Eventually, you\u2019ll start seeing better results and make PROGRESS. This in itself is very empowering \u2013 not to mention a huge confidence booster.<\/p>\n

So it all begins with the simple decision to take\u00a0ACTION<\/strong>, no matter how scary it seems at first.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

#2: Imagine Your Future Self<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Now, some people might need a little nudge to get the ball rolling.<\/p>\n

I know how demoralizing it can be starting from square one without an idea of how to take action \u2013 let alone feel more confident.<\/p>\n

Remember what Sal did? Instead of letting the fear take over, he chose to re-frame his current experience into a positive one.<\/p>\n

This gave him something to\u00a0look forward to<\/strong>\u00a0even though the outcome wasn\u2019t within his reach just yet.<\/p>\n

It also gave him the drive and confidence to power through his challenges\u00a0even though<\/em>\u00a0he felt afraid.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what you can do\u2026<\/p>\n

Imagine for a moment that you\u2019re a ship at sea trying to get to your destination. Sometimes, the fog of fear and self-doubt will cloud your path and make it hard for you to find your way.<\/p>\n

The best way to avoid ending up like a sitting duck is by having a\u00a0crystal-clear<\/strong>\u00a0idea of where to go \u2013 and how to get there.<\/p>\n

And like all great navigators, you\u2019ll need to plot a course to make that happen.<\/p>\n

Having a good map and a compass by your side will help you get your bearings right. So even if you\u2019re battered by storms and other challenges, you\u2019ll always be headed in the right direction.<\/p>\n

To do that, try to think of the\u00a0final outcome<\/strong>\u00a0you want. Paint a mental image of what kind of person you\u2019d be at the end of your challenge, and how much better you\u2019d be then.<\/p>\n

Who would be congratulating you, and how would that make you\u00a0feel<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Amazing<\/u>, I\u2019d bet.<\/p>\n

You could even map out the steps you needed to take to get to that place you want.<\/p>\n

Spend a few minutes every day doing this, whether it\u2019s first thing in the morning, or before going to bed. You could even do it at both times for a better effect.<\/p>\n

And by the end of each visualization exercise, getting to your destination won\u2019t be so scary anymore.<\/p>\n

Now that things aren\u2019t so nebulous, you\u2019d probably be more confident to take action. Then you\u2019d be on your way to getting that confidence feedback loop started.<\/p>\n

#3: Challenge Your Inner Voice<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Remember that pesky critic we talked about earlier?<\/p>\n

Well, this is one of the most common obstacles to developing self-confidence. Being self-aware is good because it helps you correct your mistakes as you go along.<\/p>\n

But the problem is when this voice gets\u00a0out of control<\/strong>\u00a0and starts projecting worst-case scenarios\u00a0instead of the truth<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Many of us don\u2019t realize that the inner world of our thoughts isn\u2019t necessarily an accurate reflection of the external world. And so we think of the worst things about ourselves and what could happen to us.<\/p>\n

This type of thinking is a confidence killer. The best way to get around this roadblock is by challenging that voice inside you.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s say that you made a mistake at work. Like clockwork, your inner critic will start berating you.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou blew it,\u201d it tells you, \u201cthere\u2019s no way you can recover from that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Take a step back and\u00a0really question that statement<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Then you can reply with, \u201cDid I really mess up that bad? Or can I take some steps to make it right again and avoid making the same mistake?\u201d<\/p>\n

By using logic, you can dismantle those end-of-the-world thoughts and take back your power.<\/p>\n

And in time, you\u2019ll recognize that inner voice for what it is so it doesn\u2019t derail your confidence.<\/p>\n

#4: Use Affirmations to Shape Your Reality<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Some people might find it hard to challenge their inner critic, especially if they\u2019ve been flooded by\u00a0YEARS<\/strong>\u00a0of negative thinking.<\/p>\n

Telling off that voice inside them is easier said than done because it has such a\u00a0powerful grip<\/strong>\u00a0on their thinking.<\/p>\n

So, the solution is to\u00a0re-wire your mindset<\/em>. In particular, you need to shift your focus on the positive aspects of life \u2013 and yourself.<\/p>\n

A lot of people live out\u00a0false stories<\/strong>\u00a0and make assumptions about the world. For example, someone might think they\u2019re not good enough, smart enough or talented enough.<\/p>\n

When people operate on these negative beliefs, they end up creating self-fulfilling prophecies.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why you have to change whatever story you think you\u2019re living right now. It\u2019s the only way you can\u00a0break free<\/u>\u00a0from your inner critic.<\/p>\n

To get started with that, you can use powerful statements called\u00a0affirmations<\/strong>. These are declarations to yourself \u2013 and the Universe \u2013 of all the things you want to become.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re meant to empower and remind you of all the good qualities you have.<\/p>\n

Plus, these affirmations state the future you want \u2013 and inspire you to make it a REALITY.<\/p>\n

Once you get into the habit of these affirmations, you\u2019ll gain a foundation of self-confidence that you never had before.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how to do it:<\/p>\n