What does self-confidence have to do with the law of attraction? Is there a parallel between the two? Does self-confidence affect everything about a person?
Before I answer these questions, allow me to paint a picture for you that should cause you to think concerning yourself, especially if you have ever played any sport where it involves competition. The analogy goes like this…you are a Major League pitcher and the first 10 batters hit a homerun or they get on base. If you were this pitcher, how would you rate your self-confidence, from one to ten and ten being at the best self-confidence level? Do you think that your confidence level would be high enough to finish the game with a win or would you internally battle with your confidence being shaken? If your confidence is extremely low, do you think that your opponent would notice it? Absolutely, yes!
People feel the same sense of anxiety when it comes to sales; the inability to land a date; when you’ve had one job interview after another and no one hires you; and the list goes on. It is at these times when your confidence can be shaken and or inoperable. I have seen people make mistakes with the simplest of things to do, but because they made several mistakes, they became discombobulated. For instance, when I was in the military many moons ago, I was sent to a military leadership school with about one hundred or more guides from all over Europe where American soldiers were assigned. If there was one thing I did well, I knew how to soldier. Being the first in the class to receive a merit instead of a demerit, which everyone receives throughout their training, I was assigned to help one soldier with his marching ability. This may seem hard to believe, but it happens all the time when one’s confidence has been shaken. The problem with this sergeant’s marching came because he thought too hard and therefore he struggled with the simplest of tasks, marching. When a person walks, their arms swing opposite of the movement of their legs, which is the natural swinging motion when walking. Sergeant Blank, whose name I will keep concealed for the sake of embarrassment even though it was over thirty years ago, moved his arms in the same motion when he tried to focus on marching. My first thought about the assignment given by my facilitator was cruel and unusual punishment because I was given a relativity short period to work with Sergeant Blank, which also took up several evenings. However, it proved to be a blessing in disguise.
What was my strategy to get this soldier to do what was natural, naturally? Of course, my assignment was quite amusing to the other sergeants assigned to this leadership school, but not all of them graduated. On the other hand, Sergeant Blank did graduate and later was promoted to the next rank all because of a simple strategy. My strategy was as simple as walking. Sergeant Blank’s problem was not that he could not march like a soldier; his issue was in his head when he had to march like a soldier. I worked on his confidence, not his lack of ability to march correctly. When I tried marching him, I did not succeed and I only became frustrated. Until I realize that his confidence was shaken by everyone yelling and laughing at him, I put a new strategy into operation. I asked him to walk with me and keep up as I walked more in a military form without him thinking about it because I did not speak of marching I was asking him questions about his family and children…things that mattered the most to him. Whenever he would focus on me I would inform him that we were not marching, we are only talking for now. After he became calm and relaxed, we started synchronizing our steps; he was marching without the thought of marching. After a short while I said, “Did you notice that you were marching?” He started laughing with excitement because he discovered his own flaw; he had allowed all of the distracting shouting by his facilitators and laughter from his contemporaries to affect his self-confidence. I informed him that some things do not need your focus, just your cooperation. You do not focus on breathing and yet you have no problem with it. A healthy self-confidence helps you to do the normal things effortlessly and increases your ability to do extraordinary things with an enduring strength.
Confidence is generally described as a state of being certain that a chosen course of action is the best or most effective. Confidence is a feeling you believe you are capable of doing something and that you are optimistic. Self-confidence is having confidence in oneself. However, true self-confidence is not a feeling that you are better than others are. Confidence influences success in all areas of life. As you know, there are other important factors to your success. Some factors are beyond your control but they can be assisted with one critical factor called confidence. However, you must realize how confidence is always crucial for your success. In fact, most people are not confident enough. Self-confidence makes you sociable and likeable and can easily become one of your attractive qualities. Self-confidence will turn you on to life, and if you turn yourself on, rest assured, it will resonate so that you will cause others to become turned on to life as well.
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