Confidence Build Inner Confidence & Boost your Self Esteem by Chris Croft

• Confidence is a skill, not an emotion, and a life-changing quality.
• Boost inner confidence through practical techniques, mindset shifts, and self-empowerment practices.

Understanding Confidence

• Confidence is about inner feelings, not judging others, unlike arrogance, which involves comparison and a sense of superiority.
• Confidence is a learnable skill and a habit.
• Confidence is situational but can be transferred.
• The confidence loop: confidence → good performance → success → increased confidence.
• Confidence involves believing in your ability and worth.
• Confidence means saying yes to challenges and no to unwanted obligations.

Roots of Lack of Confidence

• Fear of failure and fear of people are the biggest confidence inhibitors
• Fear of people stems from worrying about others' opinions.
• Fear of failure involves fearing failure in projects or in life overall.

Benefits of Confidence

• Confidence enables seizing opportunities and achieving success.
• Confidence facilitates taking on extra tasks, secure in the belief of not failing.
• Confidence is linked to increased happiness in all life areas.

The Cost of Fear

• Lack of confidence affects all life aspects, personally and professionally.
• Fear may hinder travel, negotiation, business ventures, or job applications.
• Lack of confidence leads to settling for poor relationships or tolerating disrespect.

Overcoming Fear and Building Confidence

• Taking action helps in realizing fears are not as bad as perceived.
• Change your thinking; make a clear decision to change, then take action.
• Identify strengths, manage weaknesses, and recognize the flip side of every weakness.
• Replace negative self-talk with positive affirmations or mantras.
• Replace negative thoughts into positive ones by employing the word "yet".
• Setting goals encourages action.
• Big journeys are accomplished via small steps.
• Any initial step is valuable for progress.
• Become an expert in something you're interested in.
• Focus on the positives by using a gratitude journal.
• Evaluate whether friends are a net positive or negative influence on your confidence and act accordingly.

Practical Techniques to Build Confidence

• Use confident body language by standing tall with your chin up and your shoulders back.
• Build physical confidence with exercise.
• Stay present.
• Broaden exposure and perspective by traveling.

Becoming Negativity-Proof

• Protect yourself from negative influences by creating a "Wall of Confidence".
• Counteract intimidation and value yourself over external approval.
• Handle toxicity by avoiding or confronting toxic people.
• Stop seeking validation from others and worrying about their opinions.

Maintaining Confidence

• Build self-respect by keeping promises to yourself.
• Reflect on successes to understand your skills.
• You define your worth, not others.
• Value your self-perception over seeking external approval.
• People are entitled to their opinions, and it's polite to listen once.
• Stop comparing yourself to other people.
• Stay in the present.
• Volunteer for challenges to build experience and skills.

Confidence FAQ

• Confidence is enhanced self-assurance without arrogance/superiority.
• A Confidence is strongly related to happiness and overall well-being
• Fear prevents people from pursuing opportunities and achieving potential.
• Confidence stems from genetics, upbringing, and life experiences.
• See failure as learning, not defeat.