Welcome to the Rise & Transcend Podcast, your go-to source for personal growth and self-improvement. I’m your host, Michele O’Donnell, and today we are diving into a topic that’s vital for success in every area of your life – which is confidence.
Whether you’re looking to boost your self-esteem, excel in your career, or improve your relationships, building confidence is the key. Let’s explore practical strategies to help you increase your confidence and unleash your full potential.
Have you ever held yourself back from doing something that you really would have liked to do?
For instance, when I was in high school, I discovered that I really did like science class and was good at understanding the concepts. I was really confident that I could help others with their homework. My science teacher took notice and invited me to the regent’s class. I don’t know if you know about regents. But I knew it was for smart kids. Well can you imagine that I was happy to be considered. But fear gripped me, and I thought of all kinds of excuses as to why this wouldn’t work. I wasn’t that smart. Sure, I could do this but that, no way? So, I stayed in my little box while secretly envying the others.
What have you held yourself back from? And what thoughts made you stay in your box or lane?
Was it a lack of confidence? Did you think that you didn’t know enough or have the appropriate skills? Or did you think who I am to do this scary thing? Maybe I’ll stay right here where I feel safer, where I know how to handle things as difficult as they are. At least I know about staying put; instead of the unknown.
So, imagine how my life turned out by choosing the “safety” of my current situation instead of taking a chance on something better. Never did I stop to consider that my life would never change if I didn’t do something different. I was basically a low achiever, a nervous wreck, I didn’t really know what I could achieve. Basically, I was miserable and jealous of successful people. Because I did want to be like that. I figured that they had something that I didn’t. So therefore, that’s why I’m stuck.
Things changed when my sister decided to go register at our local junior college. She says she dragged me with her. I don’t remember her dragging me. But I was scared and didn’t know how I was going to do this. But we were at least into this together, right.
I enrolled into computer sciences. Apparently that semester they were having a hard time finding an instructor. The one they did get didn’t really want to be there. There was no passion in the classes and too much uncertainty with advancing. I decided to change my degree and one classmate encouraged me to stay and that things would get better.
But I didn’t and decided to register for a safe degree. I excelled beyond imagination. But really, I was bored to death and unsatisfied. Back then I really didn’t have self-awareness that I do today.
So again, my life has been unsatisfying. Turns out I love challenges and to be so lost in solving them for hours on end.
So, what if?
What if I had taken that chance and enrolled into the regent’s class in science. Science was fascinating with so much potential of endless learning and mystery. That was what made my heart sing. I actually dreamed of joining NASA.
Instead, I played it safe and well all my jobs since have been safe and boring with no real challenges except for staying in that environment for 8 hours a day. Now that is a challenge to me. Wasting my life away for someone else being bored out of my mind.
It wasn’t until after all the job hoping and changing locations, and endless stress, anxiety and panic attacks that I became self-aware. And began questioning and diving deep into why I did the things I did. And what do I really want. And who really am I?
It’s been a journey. And I would really like to save everyone the trouble of what I experienced. So maybe you are in a situation right now where you have a choice to go to the unknown scary side or stay in your lane.
Which will you choose? The safe and boring route? Or the scary but exciting route? Do you have the confidence in yourself that you can do it and exceed? Share on XWhat if these other people were just like us and just chose the other route regardless of not being entirely sure of themselves?
What if there was nothing more special about them and that if we just chose the scary side, our dreams would come true.
What if we were brave enough to do that?
What would our lives look like???
I mean if there was nothing any more special about those other people and they were really just like us with the same fears Then why not me?
Why not you?
And if you really stop to think, those people in those leadership positions some of them you wonder how the hell they got there and stayed there right.
So how can we get past these feelings of inadequacies and build our confidence up so that we can live out our dreams, desires, and goals.
Before we dive into that, let’s just take a moment to hear from our sponsor of this podcast, a membership program called, Our Sanctuary, that gives you support, mindfulness practices, and tips and tools to deal with life and stress.
So, let’s get back to how can we get past the feeling of inadequacy and build our confidence up so that we can live out our dreams, desires, and goals.
So, first what really is confidence: it’s the belief in our abilities and judgement. It’s not about being perfect or knowing everything. Confidence affects how you approach life, how you interact with others, and how you pursue your goals. Confidence is a skill that must be developed with practice and persistence.
But how can you boost your confidence up?
Well, here are some practical strategies to boost your confidence:
- Set Achievable Goals: Start by setting small, achievable goals. Each time you accomplish something, you’ll build a sense of achievement and confidence.
- Practice Self-Compassion: Treat yourself with kindness and understanding, especially when you make mistakes. Recognize that everyone has setbacks and that they are a natural part of the learning process.
- Challenge Negative Self-Talk: Pay attention to your inner dialogue and challenge any negative thoughts. Replace them with positive affirmations and realistic assessments of your abilities.
- Visualize Success: Spend a few minutes each day visualizing yourself achieving your goals. Imagine how it feels to succeed and let that positive energy boost your confidence.
- Step Out of Your Comfort Zone: Take small steps outside of your comfort zone regularly. Each time you try something new, you’ll expand your abilities and build confidence.
- Body Language: Practice confident body language. Stand tall, make eye contact, and smile. Your body language can influence how you feel and how others perceive you.
- Seek Feedback: Constructive feedback from trusted friends or mentors can help you identify your strengths and areas for improvement, further boosting your confidence.”
Practice these steps consistently. Over and over until you feel confident in the task. Choose something you’re passionate about or are really curious about. And go after it.
Persistence is also something that is vital. If at first, you don’t succeed try and try again.
Look how many rejections an author gets on book deals or how many rejections an actor gets when auditioning for rolls. Could you withstand that? That would really be hard and a blow to your self-esteem. But they persevered and tried again. They built up confidence to try again and resilience to keep at it.
VISUALIZATION EXCERCISE
“Now, let’s do a quick guided visual exercise to help you boost your confidence.
Find a comfortable place to sit and close your eyes if you can. Take a few deep breaths, inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth. Now, think of a time when you felt truly confident. Picture it vividly in your mind. What were you doing? How did you feel? Focus on that feeling of confidence and let it fill you up. Sit with that for a minute.
Remember, you can tap into this feeling whenever you need it. Open your eyes when you’re ready.”
Now my challenge to you is to find something you are curious about, something you have always wanted to learn, something you are passionate about.
And take a small step into that world. Read a book, write an essay on it, talk about it, take a class on it. What can you do to further explore it? What are the possibilities? What are the delights? What can you create?
And let me know what your experience is with that!
Thank you for joining me on this journey to boost your confidence.
Remember, confidence is a skill that you can develop with time and practice. Set small goals, challenge negative self-talk, and visualize your success. Each step you take will bring you closer to the confident person you want to be. Share on XIf you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with anyone who might benefit from it. You can also follow ME on [YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X]
Until next time, stay confident and keep growing!”
Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:
- Our Sancturary – Join this monthly membership for meditation, breathwork, journaling, etc. to help you manage your day and give you relief from the stress of life.
- The Power of You! – Join this intensive healing program designed for deep healing and finding your badass powerful self.
- Oracle of the Land – Join this monthly membership for living and being present for each month with contemplating activities.
For more information about each, just click on the links.
