What boosts your confidence?

People have different factors which make them confident. It could be their careers, family, looks, faith, dress sense and other things. Ene Abah derives self confidence from being herself, not having to try to be or act like someone. “Whenever I try to ‘role play’ when I have a presentation for instance, that’s when I […]

People have different factors which make them confident. It could be their careers, family, looks, faith, dress sense and other things.

Ene Abah derives self confidence from being herself, not having to try to be or act like someone. “Whenever I try to ‘role play’ when I have a presentation for instance, that’s when I mess it up, but when I am just myself, things flow more naturally.”

It may not be too easy for me to pinpoint just one thing that gives me self-confidence, says Elaigwu Ame, “but suffice it to say that, most times, my self-confidence is dependent on three factors – my preparedness/readiness for a given challenge; my overwhelming awareness of  and belief in  my abilities and endowments; and my conviction I based on ‘it is better to try and fail, than to fail’, because I never tried.”

Some may consider it an irony that somebody’s confidence would get boost from other’s validation of him or her. It is one elements that give Pamela Braide confidence. “Success in my ventures, looking good with my hair, outfit  and accessory well adorned also boost my confidence just as listening to a great song and being with people who like me does.”

Abu Umar’s main confidence promoter is his belief in his capacity to confront challenges and surpass them. “I also feel knowledgeable to engage persons I come across no matter their status in the society.

The level of exposure and experience also account for my confidence. Also, the ability to meet my immediate needs, the level of information on issues and professional competence etc.”

For Stanley Kingsley, self confidence is all about the power to convince and be respected in your absence. “My confidence is increased when people cue into my line of thought or argument especially when I have superior argument. It could also be when my presence and impact is felt regardless of the location or situation. My ability to interprete events positively could be another strong sense of confidence.”

Martha Iember Ezediuno explains that  “my confidence comes first and foremost from my relationship with God. Second, from the things I have been able to accomplish in time past. My past achievements give me the confidence to try other things. Also from the love of people close to me, who care and believe in me.”

Dress sense, general outlook, superiority complex depending on the audience, command of speech, intelligence and versatility, being prepared and not taken unawares are essential to derive self confidence for Dr. Maureen Chukwuma.

According to Mr. Kennedy Azu, it is not the best for anybody to exist without any element of self confidence as it amounts to self-belief, buoyancy  and self-trust all capped into self-respect. Self-confidence, Azu says, is the result of self-respect or self-esteem.

“We can also ask, ‘how do we nurture and produce real self-respect, self-esteem or dignity’. When we stay true to ourselves and remain consistent with our values, the more our self-respect and confidence grows.”

He said  several factors including the way we treat others – respectfully – even when they don’t deserve it, reveals just how weak or strong we truly are. “Somebody who is very confident and has built his self-esteem on dignity will come across as having the strength of an iroko tree. Time will eventually prove how deep those roots go, but if they are consistently true to themselves, that person will never fall.”

“Sometimes,” Azu, who is a church youth counselor said, “we misplace arrogance for confidence. We should be clear that arrogance can be deceitful as it could appear to be confidence, but is actually motivated by fear or insecurity – fear of what others may think, fear of not fitting in, fear of not being loved, etc. it will eventually reveal its true self. As far as I have seen, arrogance is always motivated by fear, yet appearing confident, but only for so long.”

According to an article on inforshine.co.uk, positive thinking is the first step in boosting your confidence. “Your mind is a very powerful thing. If you tell it something enough times, it will believe it, so if you constantly engage in negative self-talk, you can bet your mind will believe it.” The personal development site adds that, “When you catch yourself putting yourself down, stop. Switch that negative to a positive and before you know it, your mind will believe that instead.

“Act as if you are confident, even when you don’t feel it. This is another way to fool your mind into believing you have confidence. Whenever you feel uncertain or shy or nervous, think of someone who always shines with confidence and act like them. You aren’t being fake or pretending; you’re simply in training.”