We spend most of our lives worrying about the things that usually never happens. Or living in fear of the unknown because of the story we create in our own minds. And why? What is the real reason that we do this?
Because from an early age, we are taught or programmed with these habits. Do you remember growing up and hearing things like “Be careful, you might fall”, “Don’t do that, people will think you are weird, stupid, strange, etc.”, “Don’t speak up you will look/sound stupid”, “What if X happens?”. Have you ever heard these comments? Of course you have, at least some of them or at least something similar. I am sure it was not on purpose that these were etched into your psyche, but more for protection and to keep you from harm.
Today we are going to learn about how to break this chain and how your beliefs become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Let’s look at the Pygmalion effect.
Beliefs as a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
Understanding that what we believe or feed into our minds is what we manifest in our lives and that it can either propel or sabotage us in achieving what we desire. Our thoughts are extremely powerful and shape who we are and how we show up in the world. We must master our beliefs and thoughts if we are to become successful and truly confident.
You have a decision to make and the time to act is NOW! You choose the story that will fill your mind and soul. One of positive reinforcement, influence, and belief that you can do whatever you set your mind too or one of sabotage and regret. If you choose to not move forward and to stay stuck in your old story, you can stop reading now. But if you feel it is time to think differently and to move your life forward here are some tips and habits to practice on your journey to building more confidence.
Being confident is not something you are born with, its something you nurture and practice consistently. Over time you will get better and better!
Habits to practice:
- Master a positive self-talk!
- Analyze the situation so that you truly understand what happened? What did you learn? Is it about you personally? Or do you happen to be in specific place, time, situation? Do not go down that rabbit hole!
- Focus on what you are already doing well and celebrate your success!
- Identify the strengths that have made you successful. Focus on what you can do, not on what you can’t do.
- Stop guessing what other people think of you!
- Don’t make your self worth dependent on a success or failure
- Use mental imagery to visualize you, exactly how you want to be seen.
I cannot reiterate enough the importance of shifting your thinking to a more positive, self-compassionate state of mind when building and practicing your confidence boosters. Are these habits easy to master? No, that’s why most people do not have the confidence or success they desire but with time you can do it or with the help of someone who specializes in building confidence.
Hi, I’m Vicki Bradley, an executive coach in Toronto and the Founder and CEO of Women in Leadership Empowered.
I work with women pursuing success in executive leadership roles and the presidents and CEOs who understand that strong businesses are built with strong, diverse leadership.
WIL Empowered is a year-long program where we use all four aspects of leadership development: Coaching, Networking, Peer to peer mentorship and skills development. Our mission is to help women develop the skills, motivation and accountability required to succeed in their business and personal lives.
Take our five-minute leadership quiz to discover where your leadership skills are now and where you’d like them to be this time next year.
To discover more about the WIL Empowered program, visit the website.
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