Dictionary.com defines confidence as “belief in oneself and one's powers or abilities,” and in my opinion, this is only part of the process of confidence. Many people in this crazy world we live in spend half of their days worrying about the day after that. Wondering how they are going to pay their bills and trying to figure out if they are gonna be able to make it this week or month or year. While confidence doesn’t seem like that big a deal, it really can impact your entire being and attitude on life.
Confidence can change anyone's perspective and allow them a glimpse into what a situation can be if they stop thinking the worst about everything. Now, don’t get me wrong. Anyone in my friend group could tell you I am the first to prepare for the worst, but once the preparations are set and it's time for the battle we call life to begin, I run at it head on, prepared as best I can be and confident that no matter what happens, I will pull through. This is something I feel every person should have. If you cannot have the confidence to stand up to life, how are you ever going to achieve that dream of yours?
Confidence is the defining characteristic that can actually affect the outcome of your days. Like I said, I believe that the dictionary only covers part of the process. Confidence, while being defined as believing in yourself, is nothing without following through. I can swear up and down the street that I believe that I will conquer the day, but if I never leave the street how many people will believe me, or worse, how can I believe in myself? How can I say to someone, "Have confidence and you can pull through," if I myself do not? While actions don’t make up the definition of confidence, they're what show that we have it.
I'm sure that many of you struggle with waking up in the morning and saying to yourself that no matter what happens, the day can be conquered and will be. If you feel like your days are repetitive and dragging on, you might be even less inclined to feel like you can have confidence in your day. Raise your hand if you've ever felt like that. Alright, now look around and see how many others raised their hands. If you just looked around your empty bedroom, please know there are probably thousands of other who would be raising their hands. They just aren’t there right now. I'm sure you feel silly with your hand up alone in your room… If you feel the need, just laugh at yourself. It always helps me.
Confidence is tricky, because too much, and you aren't prepared for the day. Too little, and you feel inferior to your day. You have to find that sweet spot where you can say that you can win this day if you work towards it. That's where you want to be. On the far side of your day, looking and saying, “That could have been so much worse if I'd been negative about it.” Don’t let this world define how your day goes. Define it yourself… with confidence.
