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If you can imagine a better life, you can create it.
If you believe you can, you will find a way to sustain the strength needed and develop faith and confidence in yourself.
Like you, I have struggled to preserve a level of confidence to work with the difficulties I faced. The loss of my husband, for example, created enormous challenges I thought I could never overcome. But I did.
With prayer and a belief that God would help me, I stepped out and created a new life. You can read my journey in my book, Learning to Live Again in a New World, available on Amazon.
Over the years, I learned that every time I was challenged with what seemed like overwhelming odds, I was able to look for possible solutions, evaluate each of them, and choose the best one to activate.
I learned that if the first try didn’t work, I could try again. I learned that when I needed more help or training I could ask for it or find a way to learn about it.
When faced with devastating odds, we are often flooded with apprehension. How will I ever survive this? How will I make it?
Our thoughts are full of not just fear, but panic. Yet to achieve anything – to overcome anything – requires taking that spark of confidence and taking a risk. We need to believe we can, be willing to make mistakes and step out.
Believing
Believing is a state of mind that says we can’t prove it will happen but there is enough data to show that it might. Belief involves a conviction, a mindset, or attitude, where we approach life from the point of view that if we try it might happen, and we act upon that assumption.
Beliefs are powerful.
Are you aware of the beliefs you hold and act on every day?
Sit down and list them. They may include things such as:
- I believe in God.
- I believe I have true friends.
- I am charge of my life.
- I can turn my mistakes into valuable learning opportunities.
Look at that list every day. Add to it. Be patient with yourself as you work out the details for plans or goals.
Maintain Confidence
To accomplish anything, we need to maintain a belief and confidence that we can achieve it. Even when things don’t work out like we’d like them to, we know we can try again, refine, or alter plans if needed.
When creating a blueprint for your life, ask yourself some basics.
- What will it take to complete the steps involved?
- How will you continue to motivate and encourage yourself when the going gets tough?
- If more education or training is needed, what would it take for you to go back to school or take an online course to get the necessary information to develop these new skills?
- What are you willing to give up so you can achieve more?
Think about the steps involved in achieving your goals and have a plan ready to help when you get discouraged or want to quit or feel that you are not capable enough or whatever words you use to describe what is happening.
Words are powerful, and if you aren’t aware of your internal dialogue, now is the time to become aware and change a habit of negative self-talk to one that is constructive and optimistic.
Make an assessment of times in the past when things did not work out.
- Did you lack confidence in yourself?
- Was it lack of planning and/or mismanagement of time?
- Were you constantly comparing yourself to others and seeing yourself as no good?
- What kept you from trying one more time?
- Over the years, have you developed a habit of complaining about everything while forgetting to recognize the blessings you have?
If you have developed a life habit of negativity, you will always be unhappy and discontented and will have difficulty achieving.
Instead, tell yourself you can do it.
No matter how many times you have failed or haven’t kept up your motivation, you can take what you are learning and apply it again.
Maintain your confidence. Go back over the blog posts that speak to these things and read them again. Complete the exercises. This is for you.
When you are more aware of who you are, the life you are living, and how you can alter or improve that life, you will build and maintain confidence.
Bring Joy and Contentment into Your Life
There were many times after a day’s work when I sat down and relaxed with a cup of coffee. I was content with what I was able to accomplish even if I hadn’t finished everything I set out to do.
Life will interrupt and tasks will sometimes remain unfinished, but we can still be content with our efforts.
We may have chosen to take the day off. Being content means we feel satisfaction for who we are and the choices we make.
That confidence in knowing that we can take charge of our lives allows us to feel good about the goals we have designed. There is a purpose and meaning for what we do.
We choose to let go of those things that drag us down or make us feel incompetent or worthless. We know we aren’t perfect and don’t have to be.
We will also experience contentment when we become thankful for our blessings.
Every morning when you wake up, wake with the confidence that you have that day to use.
Start by thanking God for all you have.
Allow yourself to feel enthusiastic about possibilities.
As you do, stay true to who you are. Act on the goals for that day even if they are small ones.