What exactly does "self-confidence" mean? How does it differ from self-confidence? What are the reasons why so many people long to become more self-confident, and what concrete steps can be taken to achieve this? Which principles must be understood and which logical consequences result from this? We will deal with all these questions and more in the course of this short guide. Even more: Together we will find a helpful answer to each of these questions!
As in all my publications, I would like to point out to you that there is a basic requirement for your personal success. To deal intensively with a topic and to read a guidebook on it is an important step which triggers motivation and drive for action in you. It's this very zest for action you have to give in to. Just reading this e-book and feeling motivated will not lead to great results. It will rather cause frustration, because sooner or later you will find that despite all your good intentions you have not yet become more self-confident. This realization can even cause the opposite of the desired effect and depress you. Therefore, be open-minded and willing to get involved in your personality development. Don't find the following just meaningful and helpful, but try it out in your life. While reading, always ask yourself to what extent what you have experienced can be transferred to you and your personal situation. Every person is unique and therefore it is not possible to write a universal guide to success. It is your task to adapt the contents of this short guide to your needs and to act according to the advice given. Nothing comes from nothing. Only through real action can measurable results be achieved. The good thing about it is that it also gives you full power and personal responsibility. With this e-book I give you valuable facts and suggestions on your way. What you make of it is up to you.
On the following page you will find an introductory chapter in which you will learn everything you need to know about self-confidence. This is followed by the main part of the guide, which consists of 12 basic principles and practical measures for a more self-confident life. Then the whole thing is summarized briefly and concisely to refresh your memory and motivate you.
That you're reading these lines is a very good sign. It means that you have an honest desire to change for the better and that you are willing to follow your wishes with concrete actions. If you remain motivated and open- minded, you will achieve a lot with the help of this guide. Perhaps not everything you will read below will appear completely new to you, but that doesn't make it any less important. Building your self-confidence sustainably means significantly improving your quality of life. There is no better way to invest your time and attention. I hope you enjoy reading this and wish you many important insights.
Everything you need to know about self-confidence
Most people think that self-confidence is about success, persuasiveness or particularly disciplined behaviour. This is not entirely incorrect, but basically these qualities are only the result of a healthy self-confidence. In plain language this means: being successful, convincing or disciplined does not automatically make you self-confident. However, a solid self-confidence makes it much more likely and easier to let you be all that. But that's not all. Self-confidence is the key to personality development and can therefore do much more for you. Therefore one should not have such a narrow idea of it, but understand exactly what it is all about. So, what's self-confidence anyway?
By definition, self-consciousness is "the awareness of oneself as a thinking being", or: "the conviction of one's abilities, of one's value as a person, expressed especially in self-confident appearance".
The latter definition is more in line with the term "self-confidence", which we will deal with later. First and foremost, it is important to literally perceive and understand the word "self-confidence". It's about being aware of yourself. To perceive and understand oneself. Why is this so important? Because you are the central element of your life. You experience every day of your life. You make every decision yourself and basically you do nothing but decide all day long. You decide what to eat, where to go, what to do next, with whom to interact, etc. For a happy and self-determined life it is essential to understand how important self-perception and self-confidence are. When we do this, we understand our personal responsibility. We recognize not only that we are responsible for everything that happens in our lives, but also that we have all the power over it and thus the possibility to shape it according to our ideas. That sounds simple, doesn't it?
What seems simple in theory is sometimes difficult in practice. We'll see what that's all about shortly. First of all, it is important to look at the difference between self-confidence and self-confidence.
Do you trust easily or do you have to earn your trust first? As a rule, we humans find it difficult to trust someone through the path we do not fully know. We often think that we need to find out more about a person before such an intimate relationship of trust can develop. It's the same with ourselves. We consciously do not perceive it, but in reality we distrust ourselves if we do not have a pronounced self-confidence. This is a very simple process that is completely subconscious. For this reason, self-confidence is a logical consequence of self-consciousness. Who has a consciousness about himself and knows himself completely, can also trust himself. Those who trust themselves have courage and confidence and can thus tackle great hurdles in everyday life. This ultimately results in successes that ensure self-confidence and strengthen trust. The aforementioned successes lead to pride and self-love and so the circle closes: one gets to know oneself, gains trust, is rewarded with success and admires oneself for it. After all, you're proud to be in your skin. This is what self-confidence really is and what it can do for you. Therefore, it cannot be too time-consuming to deal with the topic in peace: Because it can completely change your life for the better.
If it's so easy, why are so few people self-confident? In fact, there are many different reasons for this and it is difficult to generalize the causes. Since I do not know you personally and we communicate via this e-book, we cannot and will not undertake a journey into your very individual past. Instead, I will introduce you to general reasons for a lack of self-confidence, which you are likely to find yourself in. There's nothing wrong with that, because actually, we all can. Factors that negatively affect our self-awareness are omnipresent and it will be your job to avoid them in the future.
Among the most common reasons are the need to please others and the fear of confrontation. Most people already learn in their childhood that they receive praise and rewards from their parents, siblings and other role models if they behave according to their wishes. If they don't, they'll be blamed. While some people go through a rebellious phase as they grow up and impose their own will, others enjoy being passive and pleasing their fellow human beings. The logical consequence is a lack of self-confidence. Whoever only does what might be right for others loses sight of what he himself actually wants. One moves away from oneself and thus also weakens self- confidence.
Also the heteronomy and generalization make people less self-confident. We are constantly exposed to opinions that give us directions in life and convictions. It starts with reading the daily newspaper or watching the news on television. Furthermore, the media tell us what we should eat, what fashion trend we should not miss, what technical equipment we should buy and which car we absolutely need in order to convey a certain impression to the outside world. All this relieves us of many decisions and thus impairs our independent and self-confident thinking. Moreover, these circumstances generalize all humans. It is not about individuality and personalization, but about making everything possible "suitable for the masses". We like to underestimate it, but these influences also affect our self-confidence.
The last frequent reason for a lack of self-confidence and self-confidence that I will give you is failure. Whenever something fails in our everyday life, we are demotivated. We feel bad and never want to feel this feeling again. For many people, this means not facing the same situation again in order not to run the risk of failure in the first place. The consequence is that the trust in oneself and thus also the self-confidence disappears. One orients oneself more and more to what other, supposedly more successful people do. For this reason, it is important to remain motivated even after setbacks and defeats and not to doubt yourself.
These are just a few of the possible reasons for a weak self-confidence, but they are perfectly sufficient to