There is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.
A.A. Milne
I’m not sure how many of you watched ‘The Voice’ finale (yes, I admit, I’m addicted) – but for those who did, it was an inspiration just to watch the growth in confidence of the finalists throughout the series, to see the articulation of their dreams as they got closer and closer to that massive goal. The energy that came through the screen was amazing, and not just from the contestants – but the judges as well – it was absolutely infectious.
That’s confidence for you. It is infectious. If it could be sold over the counter, (or as an app!) the inventor would leave Bill Gates in the dust.
Think about the number of times you have been in a restaurant, or a meeting, or a presentation, and that person walks in. You know the one I mean. It’s THAT person. The one who effortlessly grabs everyone’s eyes and attention. They aren’t necessarily good looking, and they definitely aren’t trying to capture anyone’s glance. Nonetheless, they look as though they are moving with their own personal cheerleading squad and everyone wants a piece of their attention – including you, once the green-eyed monster settles down and lets you admit it!
Call it an aura, call it presence if you like – but it boils down to confidence. The confidence to know who you are, what you want, and where you are going; not just in life, but in your business direction.
Confidence is understanding yourself inside and out. It’s about being centred as a person in your own space. What’s your purpose? Your passion? It’s knowing your talk and walking it… and then being willing to share that talk with others from a place of generosity and authenticity. Because just as you may know who you are, if you pass that knowledge on, you are passing confidence on. It’s like a positivity virus – a vaccination against self-doubt.
Because the biggest killer of confidence in business, as in any of life’s journeys, is when we start to doubt ourselves, and the path that we are on. Part of growth, just like for those Voice finalists, is understanding when we don’t know something, and being willing to say ‘I have no idea what’s happening here – I need that vaccination now thanks!’
So many times we are told throughout our lives ‘you’re simply not good enough’. It’s very easy to simply shrug and say to ourselves ‘well, if someone says that, then it must be true’. If we want to have that personal cheerleader squad, pom poms and all, preceding us into every room, then we need to shrug off this attitude and take ownership of our own emotions, and dictate our own path. You are the one who decides whether you are good enough. Nobody else. Once you take that step, I guarantee you that the first swish of those crepe paper pom poms will start being heard.
Because that’s the magic of confidence. And it comes from inside.
Give me a ‘C’!
