Posts tagged self confidence

1. Don’t compare yourself to others. You are totally unique, and have different talents, abilities and strengths.

2. Never criticise or put yourself down. There are plenty of others who will do that for you. You need to be your biggest, and you greatest, fan. Be understanding, gentle and kind to yourself.

3. Consciously accept every compliment you get and see them as accurate and genuinely meant. Don’t brush them off as stupid, wrong, or meaningless.

4. Keep affirming yourself until it changes how you feel. It may feel false at first when you say something like “I accept myself completely– and believe I’m valuable”. But as you constantly repeat it you’ll find that, over time, you do accept and value the person that you are.

5. Surround yourself with positive, encouraging people. If you hang out with people who always put you down, and never seem to like or approve of your ideas, then you’ll soon stop believing in yourself as well (and it will also crush your creativity).

6. Make a list of your successes and accomplishments – like playing an instrument, learning how to cook, passing an exam, graduating from high school, or getting into college, or receiving an award. Review this list often – and be proud of yourself!

7. Make a list of your positive qualities and traits. Are you an honest, reliable and caring friend? Do you make time for others? Do you try to do your best? Again, review this list often, and get into the habit of focusing on your positive qualities and traits.

8. Spend your time doing things that you are good at, and enjoy. We become more alive when we’re doing things we love - and that naturally increases our self-confidence (as we’re being our true selves and not just acting out a role).   

9. Get involved. If you sit on the sidelines and avoid all challenges then you won’t be able to achieve much in life. But if you push through the feelings of anxiety and fear, then you’ll grow, be successful, and have higher self esteem.

10. Be true to yourself; live a life that’s really “you”. Don’t let other people decide what you should do, or what is best for you, or who they think that you should be. You only have one life – choose your own path – just be you!

1. Pay attention to what bugs you – it could be telling you something important about yourself.

2. Don’t just live with blah or negative feelings. Decide that you will fight to have a happier life.

3. Don’t change or stifle your personality. You’re valuable and special – so be true to who you are.

4. Pay attention to your physical symptoms. They may be highlighting unresolved frustrations, pain that needs addressing, or deep unhappiness.

5. Notice where your mind goes when it starts to wander. This often gives you insights into wishes, hopes and dreams.

6. Be willing to acknowledge and face your fears as they’re stopping you from going for the life you want to have.

7. Instead of feeling jealous or envious of others ask yourself what is missing from your own life right now.   

1. Pay attention to your posture. Stand straight, and don’t slouch.

2.  Smile.

3. Look people in the eyes. Averting your gaze or looking down at your feet sends the message that you’re feeling insecure.

4. Take your time - so you look more relaxed and ease with yourself, and with your ideas and decisions.

5.  Speak slowly, carefully and with self-belief. Don’t mumble or continually apologize for yourself.

6.  Accept compliments from others (don’t deflect them, or quickly brush them off).

7.  Dressing with confidence often helps us feel more confident about ourselves. Don’t be afraid to try new things, and to look as if you have a (positive) statement to make.

8. Be aware of your positive qualities and strengths. Keep reminding yourself that it is great to be you!

1. Stop comparing yourself to others.

2. Stop putting yourself down, and attacking yourself with your own thoughts and words.

3. Don’t reject compliments. Instead of automatically brushing them off, recognise that what has been said is true.

4. Deliberately affirm yourself throughout the day with positive statements like “I am a valuable person; I am unique and have talents and gifts; I am likeable and loveable.”

5. Surround yourself with positive people who can see, and affirm, your worth and value. At the same time, avoid critical and negative people who get a kick out of putting others down.

6. Make a list of the goals you have achieved, and your minor and major successes in life.

7.  Make a list of your top 10 traits and remind yourself of these important qualities.

8. Be true to yourself. It’s important that you live an authentic life and be the person you were meant to be. Don’t try to be a replica of anybody else. You have so much to offer – so always be yourself.

We tend to focus on looking for love, hoping for love, and waiting for love. Yet if we look to others to meet that basic need then we’ll always be empty and unfulfilled.

That is, for others to love us in a healthy way, we must first be able to nurture ourselves … and to love and honour who we truly are. The steps below can help you work towards this goal.

1. Decide to treat others with love and respect: As you seek to bring joy into others’ lives you’ll find that they repay you with kindness and love.

2. Practice random acts of kindness: “Play it forward” by doing random thoughtful things. That will turn you into someone you respect yourself – and you’ll also find that others are more generous to you.

3. Let go of the past: What happened in the past is merely history now. Today is a new day, and you are starting a new page. Let go of disappointments, hurts and any grievances you hold against yourself, other people – or the world!  

4. Forgive yourself: We all make mistakes, or we regret some bad decisions. Don’t ridicule, berate or criticise yourself for that. Instead, forgive whatever happened, and give yourself a break. It simply means you’re human – and are not infallible.

5. Practice positive self-talk: Write down and repeat affirming statements and truths … like “I am gifted” … or “I’m a true and loyal friend”. Post these statements on the mirror and repeat them to yourself.

6. Think through what you really want in life – You can carve out your own path and you choose your own destiny. Your life is a gift and you can choose what you will do.

7. Be persistent: Work wholeheartedly at loving yourself. If you’ve suffered in the past then be compassionate. Be ready to acknowledge and work through your pain. You deserve that respect – and it will help to set you free.

8. Celebrate your accomplishments: It’s easy to ignore or to downplay what we have done – but don’t be blind to your successes and accomplishments. They ought to be acknowledged as they’re part of who you are.

9. Think of someone you want to be like and emulate them: Doing that will build those qualities into your life as well – so it is easier to like, love and accept yourself.

10. Be yourself and trust yourself: Be true to yourself – and don’t care what others think. Learn to trust your instincts and to follow your own heart. Also, learn it’s OK to say “no” and to do your own thing … And you don’t have to feel guilty for not pleasing everyone.

11. Don’t compare yourself to others: Every person on the planet is different and unique. We all have different talents and different histories. Discover who YOU are and then invest in being you!  

 12. Work on receiving love: When someone pays you a compliment or tries to show you love, don’t quickly brush it off – but try and see it as a gift. That is, a gift that shows you’ve value and are loved, and loveable.

1. Be approachable – Someone who’s standoffish, or likes to keep their distance, tends to make other people feel uncomfortable.  But if you’re warm and friendly, and have open body language, you’ll help other people to feel much more at ease.

2. Be natural and genuine – We can tell if other people are being insincere, or if their compliments are false, or if they’re trying to impress. But if you work on being natural, and revealing your true self, you will seem like a “real person” who doesn’t wear a mask.

3. Be modest, and be willing to share the praise with others – Give other people credit for the things that they do well, and notice their hard work, and their personal contributions.

4. Listen carefully to others, and ask for their advice – We appreciate when others want to learn from our experience, or they ask us what we think, or they want to know our views. But a proud know-it-all never asks for others’ input. They’re sure that they are right, and others’ viewpoints do not matter.

5. Admit your mistakes and your areas of weakness – It makes you seem more human, and much more likeable, as we all make mistakes and are conscious of our flaws.