By Elliott West
Your success will be determined by your own confidence and fortitude.”
Confidence quote
Introduction
Confidence plays a massive part in how we as human beings function in society. To coin an old advertising slogan from Mars, it affects how we “work, rest and play”. Whether it is social interaction in friendships, relationships or in the workplace, eye contact and body language expose a lot about the inner self and soul of an individual. If you have been hurt in your life and hold the bumps and scars of living, it is very easy to put up barriers to try to brick up your vulnerability. It is scary to get out of your comfort zone and the natural default key is to become an introvert, playing it safe and preferring to dodge the slings and arrows of life. This is in no way the wrong option the wrong option. It is natural to want to protect yourself but sometimes you have to take a deep breath, take a risk and dive into the deep end of the pool, hoping that you will swim rather than sink.
It is alright to doubt yourself if in the endgame you become stronger as a result. Life is confusing and it certainly isn’t a walk in the park. As a man, I think it is important to be able to cry when things become too much. Crying is a strength, not a weakness. It is a natural, emotional release and these tears are from your heart, a beautiful expression and something that you should never be ashamed to do. Tears don’t always lead to happiness but even if they don’t, it is not good to bottle up emotions. Always turn to a loved one and talk about it because a problem shared is a problem halved.
Being Me
I have always struggled with confidence throughout my life. I often seek reassurance from my friends and family to prove my worth. I get very anxious when faced with new challenges despite being able to do many of these things very well. People say that I am kind, funny and a brilliant writer but I know like everyone else, I have many faults. I keep my thoughts to myself, bottle up emotions, can be selfish and express my thoughts probably too often. That doesn’t make me a bad person but just shows I am an imperfect human being.
I find life a constant struggle but who doesn’t? There are plenty of bumps in this shaky life road. Life isn’t easy but you have to make the most of it because in the end it is short and you only get one shot at it. I definitely need to learn to be more confident and have faith in myself. I have to do that by myself because ultimately it is only you who can improve yourself. We live in a choppy ocean but I must start believing that there will be sunny and happy days. Like a flower, I must blossom and can’t believe I will wilt and fade either.
Seizing the Opportunity
Anyone who is reading this may think that this is just another life coach exercise and how can you preach from the pulpit when you lack self-confidence yourself? Well, I am writing this not to just to help others but to try and help myself. To give myself a life kickstart and start breaking down that wall that I have building around myself for far too long. I get far too anxious even before I set foot in my workplace and that is intensified by having days off and holidays. I have to believe that I wouldn’t be in the position I am in the workplace if I couldn’t do it. I had to go through a recruitment process to get the role and I was considered to be one of the best candidates on the day. Thousands of people applied for it and I won the race.
I know I need to sometimes pause and look in life’s virtual mirror and say to myself, yes you can and stop climbing into the dark pool of despair. I try to be a good person but I know I need to try harder and stop becoming deflated when things don’t go my way. I must also learn to not plunge myself into self-purgatory every time I make a mistake. We as human beings are naturally flawed and don’t always make the right life choices.
With my writing, I must start believing that I have a natural talent and that I am good at what I do. Also to not become deflated when I publish a piece and it doesn’t get many views. I wrote it because I was inspired to. It came from the heart and I don’t need praise all the time even if it is nice when it happens. I am already successful because people love to read my writing and that is a wonderful feeling but I need to get out of my comfort zone and find the path to getting to the next level. Whether that is by writing a book or getting the necessary qualifications to become a journalist and writing for national newspapers. Freelance or writing for others, I can achieve that goal of being a recognised writer.
