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Confidence
Game
By Greg Hickman
“Self-confidence is the first requisite to great
undertakings.”
Samuel Johnson
In the hectic game of life, where our
resolve and tenacity are relentlessly tested each and
every day, there is no suitable substitute for a healthy
dose of self confidence. Now, before we go too far on
this topic, let’s make sure we’re all singing out of the
same hymnal so to speak. We’re not talking about an ‘I’m
better than you are’ arrogance that turns people off nor
are we referring to a pompous attitude or pretentious
approach to others. Not even close. That’s not self
confidence; that’s just being self absorbed. And that
type of snootiness isn’t likely to get you very far in
the long run.
What we are talking about is a
confident, self assured air that you can carry with you
at all times; a quiet yet powerful self confidence
acquired through your unshakable faith in yourself and
your God given talents. Having that cool as a cucumber
confidence in yourself, where you can turn your talents
loose while simultaneously turning down the heat, can
turn your life completely around. By knowing deep down
inside yourself, where it really counts, that you can do
it; you will be amazed at how often you're able to pull
things off time after time. Now that’s what true self
confidence is all about, isn't it?
“One who has lost confidence can lose nothing
more.”
Boiste
Yet far too often we end up leaving our
confidence on the shelf, choosing to take a back seat
while the more confident individuals emphatically stride
to the front of the line or head of the class. We watch
in amazement as these self assured champions assume
their place right up front. They seem to know where
they’re going and instinctively move in that direction.
We admire their daring, audacity and
courage and silently wish that we possessed just a mere
fraction of their bravado and boldness. We too would
desperately love to be able to take the reigns and take
control of our lives, just like the movers and shakers
always do, but we lack the confidence to really go for
it with everything we’ve got. Our confidence is not what
it should be and as a result, neither are our lives. But
hey, don’t worry; it’s not really all that big of a
deal. It just means that we’ve got a little work to do.
“Confidence is that feeling by which the mind
embarks in great and honorable courses with a sure hope
and trust in itself.”
Marcus T. Cicero
Without a doubt, self confidence is the
constant companion of life’s most successful people. And
it’s that unwavering confidence that oftentimes
represents the difference between making things happen
or merely watching others do so in your place.
Confidence can be your greatest companion or your
weakest link in the chain.
With confidence by your side, nothing is
impossible; bringing virtually everything you’ve ever
dreamed of well within your reach. Sans confidence, even
the simplest of endeavors can become hopelessly
impossible to complete. Thankfully, you do get to make
this choice. That’s precisely why you need to constantly
work at developing a resolute confidence in yourself, a
rock solid belief system that can withstand even the
strongest of storms.
“Believe in yourself! Have faith in your
abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in
your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.”
Norman Vincent Peale
Johnny Unitas, one of pro football’s
greatest quarterbacks, once said, “Confidence means you
believe you can get the job done.” Take a good look at
the power contained in this one brief sentence. He
didn’t say you should ‘think’ you can get the job done
or even ‘hope’ you can do it. No, he said you have to
believe you have what it takes. And it’s that
confident belief in one’s abilities that can literally
make or break the best of us.
In life’s fast moving and ever changing
tempo, you need to be at the top of your game to make
your move and make a name for yourself. And that means
you must first and foremost fervently believe that you
have what it takes. When Martin Luther said, “Faith is a
living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and
certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand
times,” he was emphasizing the undeniable importance of
keeping the faith; both in yourself and your abilities.
By steadfastly maintaining your faith
through life’s most difficult tasks, you incrementally
develop a faith that becomes unshakable and ultimately
unbreakable. You will soon discover that there is no
greater feeling on earth than taking on life’s toughest
challenges head on and emerging on the other side
victorious in your quest. And to top it off, your
growing self confidence will start shooting completely
off the charts as well. So what are you waiting for?
It’s time to get in the game — the confidence game.
The Bottom Line: When you believe
that you have it, you have it.
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