Finding the Confidence to Win

Andy Murray recently overcame a career of near misses to win the U.S. Open, and a lot has been made of the mindset he needed to do it. Prior to his U.S. Open championship, Murray lost in four major tournament finals without a single win. His talent has never been in question, but his ability to embrace championship pressure was suspect. While the biggest predictor of confidence is previous achievement, how do you attack a problem confidently when you’ve continually failed in the past?  This belief in unproven possibility is fundamental to turning failure into triumph, and Murray’s journey offers precious insights.

How To Be The Most Confident Person In The World

 “Hi, how do you keep enough belief in yourself to be self-confident? Sometimes I find myself filled with so much self-doubt that it becomes crippling.” – Mike

Today I will be covering the topic of self confidence, triggered by the above question a reader sent me earlier this month. I thought that this will be a topic that will be very beneficial to everyone since building self confidence is a goal which many people have.

Are You Self-Confident?

Self-confidence refers to assuredness in your own worth, abilities and power, regardless of the situation you are in. Someone who is self confident has a strong sense of belief and certainty in himself/herself. He/she exudes calmness, composure and is self-aware.
Self-confidence is often linked with possessing of certain knowledge, skillsets or abilities, whether it is acquired or innate. While having aptitude in a particular area can help bolster your self-worth, it is not a necessary prerequisite for self confidence. Someone with absolutely no competency in something can still be self-confident. We will discuss this in detail in the later half of the article.

12 Things That Make Men Rich - by Napoleon Hill

The author of the classic book "Think and Grow Rich" recorded this brief video listing the 12 things that create richness, or wealth.

Warning, they are not what you think they are , nor in the order that you think they might be in.

Click here to see the surprising components of wealth

and then if you have not yet read "Think and Grow Rich" get your hands on a copy and read, or re-read it until your thinking becomes retrained along the lines of wealth and success.

Clue: Wealth is not all about money! 

Comment below, and sign up for our 4 part e-book series on creating your own confidence and wealth.

How to meditate: An introduction

Mindfulness meditation' – getting to know the here and now – could be the key to a calmer, happier, healthier you. Mark Vernon reveals what's involved.

How to meditate: Mastering your inner maelstrom. Illustration: Cristina Guitian

 

Rates of depression and anxiety are rising in the modern world. Andrew Oswald, a professor at Warwick University who studies wellbeing, recently told me that mental health indicators nearly always point down. "Things are not going completely well in western society," he said. Proposed remedies are numerous. And one that is garnering growing attention is meditation, and mindfulness meditation in particular.

Being Present

By Sandra Abell

I have lots of things going in my life, and at times they become a jumble and I have trouble sorting them out in my mind. The result is that I often end up feeling overwhelmed and not knowing which to tackle first. When this happens I realize that I’m so into my head and out of my body that I’m not at all in touch with the ‘now’.

So, this month I’m reflecting on what I call “being present”. ‘Being present’ means that I focus on what I’m doing/feeling right now. Not on what I did yesterday or will do tomorrow, but right now. Amazingly, when I do this for at least 10 minutes, it clears my brain, relaxes my body and I’m once again able to concentrate.

There is something very calming and peaceful about being ‘in the now’. Stopping everything and becoming aware of what my body is doing. Is my breathing deep or shallow, where are my muscles tense, am I warm or cold, etc.?

Believe It’s Possible

by Vic Johnson

"Belief is the basis of all action, and, this being so, the belief that dominates the hearts or mind is shown in the life." –Above Life's Turmoil

You will rarely attempt something you don't believe possible and you will 'never' give 100 percent of your ability to something you don't believe in.

Some years ago I was listening to a friend speaking to a business audience. She quoted a teaching by David Schwartz from The Magic of Thinking Big that rocked my life. She said, "The size of your success is determined by the size of your belief." Now that was the first personal development book I ever read and I've read it at least 20 times since. I'm sure that I had heard that concept many times before that night. But it impacted me so much that I wrote it down and must have looked at it a hundred times or more in the thirty days after that.

Confidence is Knowing and Going

“The greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure.” — Sven Goran Eriksson

What is confidence?  This is a great question to ask because confidence is a precursor to getting results.
When one of my mentees asked me how to improve their confidence, I realized I needed to get a better handle on what exactly it is.  It’s one thing to have it,  another to know how to help others cultivate it.
In my experience, confidence comes from having a belief that you’ll figure it out or find a way. The pitfall is to base your confidence only on your competence.  The problem is that you don’t yet have competence in new areas. I think the most powerful vehicle for confidence comes from within, when it’s a mission or a vision that compels you to march on no matter what. 
In Overachievement: The New Model for Exceptional Performance, John Eliot, Ph. D. writes about what confidence is and what confidence is not.

Key Take Aways

Here are my key take aways:

• Confidence is knowing and going.   Use your mission or vision to build your confidence

Self-Confidence And The Ten Day Triumphs Exercise

Your last ten days holds the key to unlocking all the self-confidence you could want.
To living with pride and satisfaction and feeling great about who you are.
Yeah I know, you probably think I’m nuts or on something.
Ok hear me out, because below I will explain why plus also let you into the secret exercise I use with clients that helps them re-discover there inner self-belief through simply scanning their most recent diary or re-calling a few weeks events.
Are you ready to get some confidence back?
Ace, let’s go for it!

Confidence begins

Confident people know what they are good at. They have a true idea of their talents and abilities, but also, crucially, they can view their efforts and see them as competent and valuable even if they’re not earth shattering or world record breaking.
They are self-aware.
For you this confidence begins in being aware that you make a difference everywhere you go and in everything you do and say. The key word being ‘every’.
Every thing you are touches others and has an effect every single time!

Five Keys to Gaining Absolute Self-Confidence

By Robert Choat

True self-confidence comes from belief in oneself and through action that proves the belief. Today, based on what I've found out about self-confidence, I am able to do things that at one time I didn't think I would ever do or could do. Now I feel like I can conquer the world! Let me take to you back to my childhood and give you an insight into the "old me."

When I was a child, both my father and my teachers thought I was "dumb and stupid." In their minds they thought that I was mentally retarded and an IQ test "proved to them" that I was. Though, such tests do not take into account stress from outside factors that contribute to a lower score. And when you add in the fact that I stuttered, it only made my so-called "dumbness" worse and led to my self-confidence to drop even further at that time.

And yet, doing things that proved otherwise was key for me getting to a higher level of confidence.

Professionals compete with - themselves.

Professionals

Watching any professional perform is one of the most satisfying experiences in life.  It makes no difference what the professional is doing; they fascinate you with their skill and precision.
Years ago I was employed by the Fire Department.  I had a captain, Harry Taylor - we called him Scotty.  I suppose by today's standards he would not be considered very professional. Scotty never attended the fire college, but by my standards he will always be a professional.
Some of the other officers who did attend the fire college and left with high marks had no idea of how to lead people. Scotty was a leader; he knew how to draw the best out of his people. He was a pro.

Four Good Times of Day to Meditate (And One to Avoid)

Meditation and Confidence?  Do they go together? 

Sure do! - Read on.....

When is the best time of day to meditate? According to two experts, the answer depends on what you hope to get out of it.
Research has shown that meditation has many mental and physical health benefits. Among other things, it may help reduce stress, enhance concentration, improve sleep, manage pain, and lower blood pressure. Daily meditation practice is ideal for reaping these rewards. In addition, brief mini-meditations can be done as needed throughout the day whenever you want to calm your mind and relax your body.

From combatting anxiety to reducing physical pain, meditation has a host of mind-body benefits.

Recently, I had the opportunity to ask two experts for their advice about when to meditate—and when not to. They agreed that the best time varies from person to person, depending on schedule and needs. But below are their recommendations for some good times to consider.