Confidence is a muscle, and as such, it gets stronger as you exercise it. Still, few of us wake up each day with a deliberate plan, no matter how small, to enhance our sense of self. Being the eternal optimist, I’ve always believed that a positive frame of mind is an important catalyst for one’s confidence, yet despite its impact, its more like caffeine – once the initial stimulus wears off, the impact fades away.
Confidence is one of those traits that while being highly personal, is perhaps best learned by observing those we most admire. One such person for me is Walt Disney who once said that “somehow I can’t believe that there are any heights that can’t be scaled by a man who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four C’s. They are curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of all is confidence. When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionable.” Not only did Disney condition his mind to see possible what most believed impossible; more importantly, he never stopped learning how to create amazing experiences for his guests. Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic is one of the most prolific social scientists of his generation, and in his book, Confidence: Overcoming Low Self-Esteem, Insecurity, and Self-Doubt, he reveals the surprising benefits of feeling less confident.