It takes a lot of courage and confidence to pick yourself. Most of us don’t do it.
Comfortable where we are, it is too much to risk to put our hand up or poke our head out. We wait for someone else to say you are ready, step up, you can do it. While it is great to have supporters, or the buzzword today, a sponsor, it still only comes down to one person…you. So why does this matter?
Waiting and looking for validation outside ourselves undermines us in ways more deeply than we can imagine. Simply waiting to be picked means missed opportunities. It also further undermines our confidence. As we continue to give the power to others to pick us, we steal that power from ourselves. Kind of deep isn’t this? While we wait to be picked, the people we have given that power rarely know that we have so empowered them. Ouch.
We need courage and confidence to pick ourselves. Where do we find those? How do we become that person?
Courage is having the mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.
Confidence is a feeling or consciousness of one’s powers or of reliance on one’s circumstances.
Which comes first? Confidence or courage. Does it matter?
We are often courageous in times of intensity. When faced with a life or death situation we find a courage we never knew we had. With the proper perspective we know we can be courageous about many of the things that keep us from taking a risk. Surely we can overcome that fear of public speaking.
Confidence seems to be a more fickle companion. Ebbing and flowing and most noticeable when it is missing, how can we make confidence a more prominent force in our daily lives? The key to confidence is knowing and understanding what we do really well. You can begin to understand this by taking the StrengthsFinder assessment found here. Less than the cost of lunch, you will receive a report describing the five things you are good at, plus an action plan to put your strengths to work.
Is it that easy you say? Yes. Go ahead, take a risk, stick your neck out and discover your strengths.