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From The Positive Perspective.......
Confidence can come from many places. We can gain confidence in ourselves when we feel we have done a good job in some way; or when we receive feedback from others that puts us in a positive light. We can gain confidence simply by allowing ourselves to look at the positive side of a situation rather than the negative. None of this is possible, though, if we don't allow ourselves to take in the positive thoughts when they are presented to us.
Short-term confidence can be triggered when we allow and accept compliments from others graciously. For example, when someone says to you, "I admire what you did to help out your colleague," or "That new suit looks wonderful on you," do you say thank you? Do you just say thank you or do you discount what you did by saying, "oh, anyone would have helped them out if they had the chance," or "this suit is so old that it has come back in style." We make excuses and don't accept the compliment as it is being given to us and we miss out on an opportunity to feel good about ourselves. The next time someone gives you a compliment, I challenge you to just say thank you and stop there without discounting it. Do you stand a little taller or feel a little better about yourself? I hope so.
There is a big difference between self-care and being arrogant or self-righteous. When we accept a compliment graciously we are practicing self-care and allowing ourselves to feel good. As a society, I would love to see the next generation be able to accept compliments more regularly to instill that sense of worth that is truly missing. Self-esteem could be so much higher in our young people if they knew how to accept good things being said to them. Those of us who are older can be a role model if we choose to be.
Long-term confidence most definitely comes from the way we feel about ourselves. When we look in the mirror we should be able to give ourselves a compliment. Knowing you gave 110% to a project and feeling proud of the results should not be something that is taken away from you due to the opinions of others. Can you look in the mirror and give yourself a compliment? Go ahead.... I will wait. OK, how did it feel? Were you able to just say "thank you" and not discount that compliment? It's hard, right? I encourage you to practice giving yourself a compliment about something every single day. No matter your stage of life or current marital status or current living conditions, you can find something good to say about yourself. Say it. Help yourself to gain confidence. After a while, you will start to believe in yourself and what you can accomplish. Only you determine what happens next. I would enjoy hearing about some of your successes in this area if you get a chance to respond.
Keep in mind that it helps to look at life's issues
From The Positive Perspective......
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