Confidence. You’re not born with it. Well, probably not. Like muscle mass, you build it up over time. Many of us don’t, though. We sheepishly slog through life at half-strength, not even close to living up to our full potential, at work, in love, you name it. How sad is that?
Truth is, we don’t have the nerve to live our best life. We play it safe. The fear of failing — and being ridiculed for it — is too strong.
The good news is it’s never too late to get your mojo working. Without getting too Stuart Smalley self-help hokey here, do yourself a favor and accept that you can one day wake up feeling strong, capable and confident. Ready to take on the world. But not without strutting outside of your comfort zone first and often.
Confidence-building is a virtuous cycle. No one but you is in the driver’s seat. All you have to do is buckle up and try something you’ve never tried before, something you’re not sure you can do, something that scares you. Speak in front of a live audience. Take on a 5K. Stand up for yourself when you need to. Then try something else new. Do it again and again until you know deep down in your bones that you’re unstoppable, like there’s nothing you can’t do.
And end scene. Pep talk over. Now it’s time for action. To get you marching confidently in the direction of your dreams, here’s an inspiring list of 10 confidence-boosting activities to try. They’re all totally doable and they’re all neatly packaged in an encouraging infographic that fittingly comes to by way of the brave souls behind Vegas Extreme Skydiving.
Go on, take the leap. Work your way boldly down the list. We dare you. It’ll only make you stronger.
Author: Kim Lachance Shandrow
Entrepreneur Staff Senior Writer. Frequently covers cryptocurrency, future tech, social media, startups, gadgets and apps.
