How to Trust Yourself and Unleash Your Potential? (Part 2)

Note: This article is taken from blogger Vanessa Van Edwards, in which she talks about her personal experience in enhancing self-confidence.

What is self-confidence?

Self-confidence is compassion for yourself, a conviction to be kind and tolerant of yourself, whatever the outcome of your actions or decisions.

Self-confidence is not:

• Being right all the time.
• You have the power to change things for your own good.
• You have very high confidence.

In fact, if we look at the lives of people who trust themselves, we can see that they have two things in common:

• They clearly know who they really are; they have self-empowerment and self-confidence.
• Flexibility to overcome difficult times, as they have the confidence to overcome challenges.

An example of a self-confident person is Colonel Sanders, who built the KFC chain. Even at age 65, Sanders started a new business that he sold only when he was 73, earning enough money to live comfortably after retirement.

Why is self-confidence so important?

A lack of trust in your abilities and others can lead to:

• Broken relationships.
• Bad experiences in the workplace.
• An uncomfortable life in general.

According to the Pew Research Center (Pew), Americans' confidence in each other and themselves decreases yearly, with confidence dropping only by 25%. How do we regain our confidence, and why is it so important? Let's take a deeper look at the reasons why you should trust yourself:

1. Self-confidence allows you to make better decisions:

Some people in school suffer from peer pressure and then grow up thinking that they are free, but they are entirely wrong. In this case, the solution is self-confidence; you must know yourself better than anyone else, including your parents. Allowing others to make decisions for you is like a constraint and giving the right to someone else to control your life.

But when you apply the principles of building self-confidence, you become independent, and you begin to follow what suits you, and in this way, build your self-confidence and become more successful in life because you will know what is best for you.

It sounds easy if you have plenty of time to build your confidence, but if you're looking to build self-confidence quickly, you're looking in the wrong place, so build your self-confidence every day, and you'll be happier.

2. Confidence makes you a risk taker:

Do you want to get attention for a while? You will not reach your goal without self-confidence. Building self-confidence also makes you better at taking risks in things that change your life. For example, let's say you are stuck in a job that is not progressing. If your self-confidence is low, you may not want to leave because you do not trust yourself to find better opportunities, but if you have high self-confidence, you will do the following:

• Request a salary increase.
• Leading a team.
• Overcome challenges without retreating.

3. Self-confidence shows your best under pressure:

When the boxer enters the ring or the runner steps into the field, they feel nervous because the whole world is watching them. The seconds determine whether they will return home victorious or defeated. Therefore, athletes show high self-confidence and believe in their emotions and decisions.

How to Build Self-Confidence?

1. Getting Rid of Fear and Vulnerability:

Showing weakness is not a sign of weakness; it is something that only the most courageous people will accept. If self-confidence is a box full of opportunities, then weakness is the key to that box.

There is something very loving and motivating about allowing yourself to stop being wary and show your true self to the world around you. As psychologist and researcher Brené Brown says, “For communication to happen, we must allow ourselves to show others who we really are.”

This psychologist and Ted Talk researcher talks about reimagining vulnerability. She encourages you to be vulnerable, so others can show their vulnerability. As a result, you can foster real, deep relationships, which is essential to feel confident.

When you feel insecure, overwhelmed, and over-conscious, remind yourself that it's good to be yourself, as there's nothing wrong with letting people see who you really are. I understand that showing vulnerability can be scary, but it's better than being fake, so take one step at a time and risk it, and eventually you'll learn how to trust yourself and fade feelings of insecurity.

2. Imagine Success:

Everyone has their own definition of success, so what is yours? If you've never thought about it, it's time to use the power of imagination.

Imagination has helped Jim Carrey and Oprah Winfrey succeed and get to where they are today -when your heart and mind know what success really means to you, everything else will be in order, and the path forward will be clear.

Sit in a comfortable, distracting place, close your eyes, imagine a life of success and achievement, try to go into as much detail as possible, and think about this as you create a “board of ideas for the future” in your mind:

• How much will your bank account be?
• What will your own strength be?
• What expressions will appear on your face?
• Where are you going to live?
• Who do you see yourself with? Are  they your family members, partner, or friends?

When you think about your success, try to be as specific as possible so that your intuition guides you in the right direction. After you have imagined yourself, write everything down, and list all the details that can be imagined so they are a reminder that you can always refer to it when you lose your self-confidence.

3. Take Simple Steps:

If you don't know how to trust yourself to make an important decision, consider taking small steps and allowing yourself to accomplish things you want to do daily. Every time you listen to yourself, you prioritize your own needs rather than the needs of others, which is exactly what you need when you have low self-confidence.

Steps we recommend you to apply:

• Make a list of things that make you feel good about yourself, and they can be anything, such as bathing in hot water, going out in nature, eating your favorite food, or listening to your favorite music.
• Establish a self-care routine; start waking up early in the morning, exercise, and enjoy a healthy breakfast.
• Practice meditation every day, even if it's for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Stay away from people with toxic feelings who drain your energy, identify dream breakers, and learn to say no to them.
• Write the blessings the Lord has blessed you with in a notebook before sleeping.
• Spend quality time with people who care about you, including your closest friends.
• Trauma treatment to overcome, whether on your own or with a therapist.

How to Build Trust in the Workplace?

Did you know that Ricardo Semler, CEO of Semco Partners, runs his company with almost no rules? So:

• Employees are allowed to take days off from work.
• Employees are allowed to determine the salary they receive.
• They decide who leads the team by voting.

That's because Semler trusts his employees and fosters a positive workplace culture that allows people to feel comfortable - building trust in the workplace helps improve team morale, productivity, and satisfaction.

Here are ways to build trust in the workplace:

1. To be a cheerleader:

All employees deserve recognition for their efforts, even when paid; you can inspire a well-functioning employee to perform with the proper support.

Let your team know you support them. I often do this by sending emails of thanks to the wonderful people I work with. Still, you have to be honest because everyone can identify a fake business partner, so try to apply the following action steps:

• Avoid routine and boring introductions to meetings, try to break the stalemate between members, and allow them to socialize and communicate.
• Try to discover employees' pasts, such as what they love and hate about their previous jobs, but don't be too intrusive if you don't have a good relationship with them.
• Send a weekly thank-you note. End each week by appreciating your team's actions.
• Reward your team.
• Don't talk about an employee behind their back; avoid gossiping at all costs.

2. Failure to make promises that cannot be fulfilled:

No one trusts someone who does not respect their words, so to build trust in your workplace, make sure to make promises that you are absolutely sure you can keep.

Research suggests that good managers can help reduce labor turnover by keeping their promises, among other things, such as early delivery times, high production quality, and increased sales when you know you can deliver.

Steps we recommend you to apply:

• Clarity and no doubt: This will be especially important if you are working with a remote team. Communication is crucial.
• Don't over-promise: This advice works if you're always a superior person or your success depends on your entire team.
• Meet the team: Talk to your team, understand their weaknesses, and deal with their time constraints rather than standing up to them.

3. Rejection of detailed management:

Have you ever felt your motivation fade because of your boss's detailed management of your decisions?

To build trust in the workplace, you need to eliminate detailed management practices. Research shows that detailed management is an expensive, inefficient style that causes managers to fail. Detailed management does not benefit anyone, so trust your teammates to get help in the workplace.

How to Build Self-Confidence in Relationships:

Do relationships count as minefields? I don't blame you for that, especially if you've failed before, but you should be able to bet on yourself before you bet on someone else because without trust, you won't get love or respect in a relationship.

Here are ways to build self-confidence in relationships:

1. Communication is the foundation:

Relationships are as fragile as a mirror, especially during the first few months, so you should think of communication as the answer. It is the basis for keeping your relationship intact, so get used to talking, especially if you are not a good person to talk to.

2. Accepting the Feeling of Weakness:

A relationship where people do not show their weakness is like a coconut; It's strong on the outside and weak inside. To trust yourself in a relationship, you must give up caution and allow your partner to recognize your true personality, not your character at work or in front of your friends, but your true personality when you are alone. Staying within your own shell will push your partner away from you.

Here's how to open up:

• Share your secrets: Choose a secret to share with your partner; it might be embarrassing from your childhood or something you're not proud of.
• Tell your partner about your fears: We must face them and turn them into feelings of happiness, so share them with your partner without confusing them.
• Speak your partner's preferred love language: What is your partner's preferred love language? Are they the sensitive type? Would they like you to help them do the things they want to do? Discover your partner's language and show them their perfect way to love.

3. Respect:

Respect for yourself and your partner is paramount if you want these three things:

• Compatibility with someone who has slightly different values than yours.
• Avoid controversy and feelings of contempt, which can lead to divorce.
• Have high self-confidence, and avoid entirely relying on your partner.

Steps we recommend you to apply:

• Thank you: Thank your partner when they prepare food for you, when they wish you well before you go to work, and for being a wonderful person.
• Praise: This is especially important if you are in a long-term relationship, so always look for something to praise your partner, and try to avoid ridicule.
• Listening to your partner effectively and emotionally: How are your listening skills? Believing you are “always right” in a relationship can be easy, especially if you don't listen.

Conclusion:

Confidence is essential because the self-confidence that comes from your abilities and mental and physical aptitude can change your life.

So, did you finish this article with more self-confidence? I know overcoming these obstacles and building self-confidence can be difficult, but it's essential for personal and professional success.