Summary: Two years ago on a cold December morning, I met a friend for breakfast at his hotel. He had a speaking engagement in town, and I took the opportunity to spend some time with him. He may be my most confident friend (in a good way, not in that overconfident annoying way), and one of the smartest people I know, so I try to learn from him whenever I can. The way he talks, the way he gestures, the way he listens, the way he loves people — it all conveys a very confident message. The message he portrays with his life is one that I hadn’t spent much time paying attention to before, but after spending that morning with him, he began telling me the things that made him the person that he is today. Of course, I couldn’t jot down notes from our conversation fast enough.<br> I wrote down 14 points that day, along with my own commentary, and each discipline can make you more confident right now. Here they are:<br> <br> Accept yourself for who you are.<br> Who are you? You need to know this by heart and own it. There is only one you, and you have so much to offer to the rest of the world.<br> Find what you believe in and fight for it.<br> The older I get, the more fed up I become with staying quiet. Life has definitely changed me, and maybe it has done the same for you. There’s too much to do, and not enough people doing the right things. You will know that you are fighting for what you believe in when you begin to set trends, rather than following them.<br> Study.<br> Typically, the reason that people feel insecure is because they don’t know enough about the subject they have a lack of confidence in. Studying a subject is one of the best ways you can build confidence in a specific area immediately.<br> Surround yourself with confidence boosters.<br> The people you surround yourself with and the messages you listen to affect the way you see yourself. Having encouragers around you can only help with boosting your confidence.<br> Don’t stand for humiliation.<br> When there has been a culture of humiliation that is created, growth is suppressed. If you are being humiliated or you see others that are being humiliated, don’t allow it. You have the right and responsibility to speak up.<br> This is the only time I will say this, but you have to focus on both your strengths and weaknesses.<br> Confidence is more situational for most people. I am guessing that the things you are feeling less confident in are the same things that you consider your weaknesses to be. Being a <a href="http://fourhourworkweek.com/2007/09/14/the-top-5-reasons-to-be-a-jack-of-all-trades/">jack of all trades</a> has many advantages, and this way, you can take advantage of them as well.<br> When you find success, celebrate it.<br> Too many people skip over their successes, and only focus on their failures. This is nonsense. When you put time and work into anything that is a success, it calls for celebration. I don’t care what it is – when you are successful, you need to recognize it.<br> Be positive.<br> When you are positive about the future, you remain hopeful for a better outcome. When you are pessimistic, it is much easier to lose hope in finding confidence. Positivity begins with self-talk. Don’t wait for others to lift your spirits, but instead speak words of life to yourself.<br> Cheer others on, but don’t compare yourself to others in an unhealthy way.<br> Be there for others to encourage them along the way, but never let comparison be your measurement of accomplishment. This is why knowing who you are and pursuing the things you want out of life is so important. When you understand this, you understand what makes you different from everyone else and will pursue those things confidently in your own strength. In doing this, you are becoming the best you. Until then, you are looking to others for your definition of success.
