The Story of Self-confidence.
An armour to be the best version of yourself.
“In order to succeed, you ought to have self-confidence. Believe in yourself.”
Well, as easy the line sounds, equally hard it is to implement the same. Accepting yourself as an individual is the most important factor to present yourself in the best possible manner. Understanding your flaws and analysing your strengths are crucial. However, what next?
Acceptance is simply the first step. You have to build your thoughts, actions, and activities in order to gain confidence about yourself. The confidence, that would be your identity.
Well, it is my identity now. However, a few years back if you ask, I didn’t even know the term! My journey to self-confidence commenced somewhat like this.
English, for me, has been more than a language. As I was in the process of becoming familiar with the same and enhancing my hold over it, a challenge came in. The Inter house Extempore Competition was held at school and out of experiment, I participated in the same. I had a slim chance of getting selected even for the semis. But, I guess the stars in hindsight were aligned, and eventually on the morning of December 8th, 2017 I found myself as one of the finalists of the contest.
It was literally the first time, I was addressing an audience of nearly 150 students and teachers. With nervousness creeping into my body and hope in my heart, I climbed the stairs and was handed over the mic. The topic allotted to me was ‘The Best Surprise received ever’. I simply said whatever came to my mind. Not paying even the slightest attention to any grammatical errors, pronunciation, or even the tone, which are the main criteria for selection. The moment I concluded, the audience blessed me with a round of applause, and two days later to my surprise, I won the First Prize! Since then, there has been no looking back. I started to believe in myself.
However, there are times, when I fumble. Simply go blank. Feel nervous. Do not feel satisfied. But that’s how I grow. That is Self Confidence. You simply embrace yourself more and with all your heart.
I don’t think that I would have approached self — confidence in the way I do now, had I not taken that step before. Many of us are worried about the consequences of the future or some are afraid even to initiate. Trust me, take that step. You never know what lies ahead. You may end up acing at an activity you never thought you would!
Here are a few ways for you to build/ boost your self-confidence:
- Reflect on your thoughts and actions. (Journaling is the best way!)
- Consistency leads to confidence
- Love what you do and do what you love
- Keep adapting to the new mediums, and techniques in your area of interest.
- Celebrate your wins. You are doing a great job!
The journey to self-confidence is a rocky road, where you ought to encounter negative thoughts, self-doubt, and anxiety. Simply, be true to yourself and your actions. You’ll grow into a personality, that radiates confidence. Go ahead and make it happen!
