Using Mind Power Techniques to Improve Self Confidence

By Jon Mercer

A lot of people would like to improve their self-confidence, and there are many mind power techniques to make the process easier and more effective. Unfortunately, most people try to "force" their minds to consciously think of themselves in a more confident way. A good example of this is the use of affirmations. Affirmations certainly have their use, and can be a good technique to gain confidence; the problem is that it takes a long time to see good results in using this method.

But mind power techniques can bypass the conscious mind, and help develop a more self-confident mindset from the deeper subconscious level -- where it counts the most. Think about it: just telling yourself that you're confident and successful doesn't really have a great impact on your core personality. The reason is because confidence and self-respect come from a deeper part of the mind -- your subconscious. In order to "breakthrough" your limiting thoughts, you will need to appeal directly to your subconscious mind and those deep internal beliefs that you may not be aware of. This is where it using mind power techniques has a clear advantage.

A few examples of techniques that affect the subconscious mind would include the use of subliminal suggestion, hypnosis, self hypnosis, using "leading question" affirmations, visualization and "reframing" techniques. All of these bypass the conscious mind, and directly affect the subconscious to change your deepest held beliefs and attitudes.

Study after study has shown that hypnosis, for example, can affect a change in people's behavior, without them really even understanding why. This is because they are being affected on the deeper subconscious level. This is a prime example of how using mind power techniques can change behaviors and potentially improve our quality of life.

One recent double-blind study at an Israeli university (Hassin, 2007) displayed subliminal images of either the Israeli or Palestine flag to volunteers. The results of the study were fascinating to say the least. Individuals who were shown subliminal images of the flags actually modified their political views (and even their voting behaviors in the upcoming Israeli election) based on which flag they had been shown.

Is also interesting to note that none of the individuals who took part in the study were aware that they had been exposed to a subliminal image of a flag, and in post-study questionnaires, they believed that they had not altered their political beliefs at all, even though a preliminary questionnaire given before the study proved otherwise.

Many other studies have shown similar results, suggesting that mind power techniques such as subliminal suggestion are not only registered by the mind, but have an effect on our behavior.

The same kinds of techniques can be used in a positive way, to improve self-confidence, overcome phobias, and even lessen the effects of depression. Ever since the early days of hypnosis, it has been observed that individuals can be manipulated to think and behave in different ways based on the power of suggestion. These days, there are a wide variety of mind power techniques available, to address a wide variety of self-help issues.

A few of the most common uses for mind power techniques are to lose weight, to increase confidence, to attract the opposite sex, to stop smoking, drinking, gambling or other addictive activities, and even to attract greater success and wealth.

Unfortunately, most of these techniques have not been studied in great detail, so more research is needed before scientists can understand the most efficient way of affecting positive change. Even so, many people swear by mind power techniques such as visualization, using subliminal CDs or software or self hypnosis. And even if it is only a "placebo effect" that is causing the changes in behavior, at the end of the day, it really doesn't matter. Anything that produces a positive effect on individual's life -- like increasing confidence -- is certainly valuable and worthy of our attention.

Discover Breakthrough Mind Power Techniques that Work! Can Subliminal Mind Power Techniques Change Your Life!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jon_Mercer

How To Boost Your Self Confidence

By Rita Johnson

How you feel about yourself plays an important role in your ability to live up to your full potential. The lack of confidence or a poor self-image is the number one obstacle that will prevent you from achieving everything you want in life.

Certainly we are all capable of holding negative beliefs about ourselves, You know what I mean that nagging little voice that tells you that your not good enough, things will never change so what's the point in trying.

However. These negative conversations repeated over and over again simply continue to create self-fulfilling prophecies. Have you ever wondered why you always seem to attract exactly what you don't want in your life?

When you lack confidence you will find yourself seeking the approval of others for reassurance. Because you believe that you have to conform to the expectations of others to fit in and be accepted. You will avoid taking risks for fear of failure. You will always expect to fail and this too becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy!

It is no wonder that the lack of self-confidence is a huge stumbling block. It stops you in your track stifles creativity, and robs you of your dream life. It is time to take control of your beliefs about yourself and those daily negative conversations. You can start with these steps and build on them as your confidence grows

Step One

Correct your posture. How you sit or stand sends out a message to others around you learn to stand like you have confidence, and learn to sit like you have confidence And .you will radiate positive vibes in turn this will boost your confidence.

Step 2

Surround yourself with confident and positive people, if you constantly surround yourself with people who have a low self-esteem it will rub off on you. Surround yourself with positive upbeat people this will create a positive atmosphere that you will benefit from. Remember that old saying you are the company you keep.

Step 3

Don't give yourself a hard time. Don't be your own worst critic, be your own best friend. After all, if a friend of yours was going through a tough time, you wouldn't get on their case, would you? No, of course you wouldn't. Positive self-talk can be one of your best weapons for confidence boosting, so make sure you cultivate the habit.

Rita Johnson is an advocate of self help and personal development. life is one big education we need all the tools available to us if we are to fulfill our dreams and develop our full potential. http://superconfidentwoman.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rita_Johnson

Developing Self Confidence in Children - Can Parents Build it

By Helen R Williams

As a child grows in awareness, his developing self confidence reflects his positive interactions with his environment and his growing trust in both others and himself.developing self confidence

Self confidence is about having a belief in our own abilities.

It is the inner assurance that we can trust ourselves, be self reliant and have faith in our own choices and judgments.

This inner belief or self confidence is usually mirrored back to us through our interactions with others and so our competence is further enforced.

Ideally, self confidence is best developed early in life and maintained with awareness as we mature.

Early, positive, repetitive nurturing, provides the pattern or blueprint for your child on which his sense of self confidence is formed.

How to build self confidence in your child

Don't make comparisons

Comparisons between children are odious at the best of times. A child can be quickly undermined if he feels he is being compared with a sibling or friend. Self acceptance is a large component of self confidence.

Try not to undermine his ability

Even in simple play, parents often unknowingly undermine their children. Simply saying, "Here, let me do that for you," can be enough to squash a child's inner confidence. Suggest instead, "Can you see another way you could try that?"

Encourage social interaction

Regular contact with other children and their families is a great way of developing self confidence in social situations. Remember to mirror for your child confidence and ease with others.

Be consistent

A child with strong, familiar boundaries has more opportunities for self confidence as he is exposed to fewer fearful situations.

Follow routines

Regular, consistent, dependable routines encourage confidence in everyday life.

Regular, safe exposure to new situations

Introduce your child to different and unfamiliar playground, walks, and people. Encourage him to explore. Take part in different sports, musical activities, interests.

Explain, educate, talk, listen

Communicate your feelings, hopes, fears and dreams. Help your child to discuss his feelings with you rather than to push them down or away. Teach him to say "I feel sad, mad, happy, good, etc."

Encourage, praise, comment, support, cheer on

Every night tell your child something great that you noticed about him that day.

"I really liked the way you helped your mother set the table, played with your sister, read your story, etc."

Allow him to work with you as you cook, clean, garden and do household chores. It is especially important for fathers to remember to allow and encourage their children to work alongside them.

Play with your child a lot

This sends the direct message to your child that he is valued and loved.
Give your child responsibilities

Even very young children thrive on a position of responsibility. They can fetch, put away, tidy, clean, pack up. As they grow, write out chore charts for your children.

Hug your children often

Warm, loving, family touch feeds self confidence.

Encourage actions requiring confidence

Show them how - don't do it for them.

Helen Williams

Editor Consistent Parenting Advice.com

http://www.consistent-parenting-advice.com/index.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Helen_R_Williams

What is Self-Confidence?

By Julia Barnard

‘If I have lost confidence in myself, I have the universe against me.’ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Confidence is about believing in yourself, giving you the courage to go for your goals. As such, assertiveness is a valuable component of a self-confident person. To reach your goals you need to be able to go for what you want. Tied in with this is having an optimistic outlook. Self-confidence is also about liking yourself and being able to take personal responsibility. Furthermore, having confidence is not about belittling or treading on the needs of others. It is a sure sign of a confident person that they are able to see the good in other people, and support and encourage them without feeling jealous or defensive.

Consider each of these elements and perhaps work on those aspects you feel you have most difficulties with. Without self-confidence, life becomes that much tougher.

Believing in yourself

With confidence, you believe you can succeed. You create goals which you expect to achieve. By believing in yourself it empowers you to relish a challenge and puts you in a position where you can cope with situations. Such self-support is very empowering and motivating. You cannot always rely on other people to say the right things, so self-belief is vital.

Assertiveness

Assertiveness is about being able to stand up for what you believe in. You are able to stand by your decision without giving in to others at the slightest hint that things may get awkward. If you can assert your needs, you will have reduced stress, as you will not feel disappointed in yourself. You will be able to enjoy life, knowing you are taking an active role in it.

Optimistic about the future

Confident people are able to recognise that when bad things happen there is a way out. Just because life isn’t so great right now, does not mean it always will be. Difficulties are regarded as challenges to be overcome. With confidence, a person is able to get up again and keep trying, rather than just giving up. With an optimistic outlook a person is able to accept and embrace the good things that happen. They do not put it down to luck or expect them to be fleeting.

Liking yourself

You really should like yourself. An important ingredient for self-confidence is the realisation of how valuable a person you are. Try to be reasonable with and fair to yourself. Sometimes we treat ourselves worse than our biggest enemy. As such, you should be able to forgive yourself. If things go wrong, it is not the end of the world. Focus on your actions, rather than let it undermine who you are.

Personal responsibility

Having confidence enables you to take responsibility for your life. You are able to recognise how much you are in charge of your thoughts and actions. You do not need to blame others when things go wrong. Instead you are able to dust yourself down and get on with things. Furthermore, you are not bound up with the past and use it as a reason for inaction in your present. Taking responsibility also allows you to recognise your achievements as yours, rather than attributing them to luck or the actions of other people.

Other people

With confidence you feel good enough about yourself that you are able to see the good in others. You do not feel the need to put other people down and try to undermine them. Instead you are able to support them and celebrate their achievements, without envy or comparison with yourself.

To boost your confidence, you want positive people in your life. Those that make you feel good about yourself. Although most of the work comes from within, you want friends that appreciate you rather than are disparaging you all the time.

Copyright Julia Barnard 2007

Julia Barnard is a professional counsellor living in Adelaide, Australia. She provides an online counselling service through her website http://www.makethechange.com.au. Julia also writes articles for the website aimed at enhancing wellbeing and promoting good mental health.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Julia_Barnard

Seven Powerful Steps to Increase Self-Confidence

By Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD

We come into this world with total self-confidence/self-esteem. An infant has self-confidence/self-esteem that their cries will get them what they need--food, diaper change, cuddling, communication, soothing, etc. If the child's needs are readily met and the child senses they are accepted unconditionally they flourish. If their basic needs for survival and emotional sustanence are only met sporadically or poorly their sense of self-confidence/self-esteem begins to deteriorate. If the child continues to experience depravation they begin to view themselves as not being good enough to be cared for or cared about. Their birth-right to self-confidence/self-esteem has been compromised. Thus, as an adult those who have experience any form of depravation, they need to re-establish what is their birth-right: Self-confidence/Self-esteem.

1.) Ask yourself, "What would be the worst outcome?" We tend to place excess importance on potential problems-a.k.a.-Worrying ahead syndrome. We have an infinite amount of energy so let's apply it to creating extraordinary relationships, advancing our careers and meeting our goals INSTEAD of wasting that energy worrying. Take action on what you have control over and minimize risks for what you don't. Then invest your energy wisely.

2.) Disengage the nagging, negative internal critical voice. That negative internal critical voice can keep anyone stuck. To disengage the internal voice, imagine a volume control and lower the volume. Or simply change the internal voice to the Disney Channel. Do you think you could take Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck seriously if they were criticizing you? The point is to disengage the critical voice by altering the way it nags at you. If you hear your own voice or a critical parent voice nagging you, it will paralyze you. If you hear a funny voice, you laugh and maybe hear the irony of your negative internal critic and continue onward.

3.) When doing something for the first time, imagine that you have already done it. Close your eyes, then, vividly imagine you succeeding at what you are planning to do for the first time. The mind does NOT know the difference between something VIVIDLY imagined and something real. Make it vivid by involving all 5 senses.

4.) Find someone who is already confident in the area of expertise you need and watch how they do it. Model as many of their behaviors, attitudes, values, and beliefs for the context you want to be confident in. How can you do this? Talk with them if you have access to them. If you don't have access to them, get as much exposure to them as you can. This could be talking to people who know the person and/or buying their products if they have some.

5.) Act "As-if." Act as-if you already have the habit/behavior you desire. If you were confident, "How would you be feeling? What would you be doing? How would you be speaking? What would you be thinking? What would you tell yourself-self-talk?" By asking yourself these questions, you compel yourself to answer them by going into a confident state. You will then be acting "As-if" you are confident. As you continue to act "As-If" you will notice you are acting less and less as your behavior becomes a habit. Within 30 to 45 days you'll develop it into a natural habit/behavior.

6.) Project yourself into the future and ask if what you're faced with is as onerous as you fear. This might be a bit morbid and yet this works tremendously well. Imagine yourself on your deathbed looking back over your life. You are surrounded by your friends and family. You're reviewing your life. Is what you're faced with now even going to pop up? That's highly unlikely. Keeping things in proper perspective really diminishes fear.

7.) Remember that you lose out on 100% of the opportunities that you never go for. Nothing ventured-Nothing gained. To get what you want, ask for it. If you consistently ask people for what you want, you will get it. As you think about your goals and what you are striving for, how effective would it be for you to believe that several people out there want to and would be willing to help you if you only ask? People will help because they know they might need help in the future and you might be a source. Whether that is true or not in the "real world" is irrelevant. The belief is empowering, I invite you to adopt it.

Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD as an inspirational leader empowers people to see life's issues as an opportunity for personal and spiritual growth. Author, If I'd Only Known...Sexual Abuse in or out of the Family: A Guide to Prevention, she is noted for her pioneering work in verbal, physical, sexual abuse prevention and recovery. http://www.gen-assist.com/book.asp

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Low Self-Confidence? Try This Amazing Self-Confidence Tip!

By Jon Mercer

Today I want to share an easy self-confidence tip, which affects not only how confident you feel internally, but also causes other people to perceive you as being more confident. This one simple change in your behavior, when used consistently, will have a tremendous impact on your life, though it is the simplest tip imaginable:

Raise your chin up high.

There is no physical attribute that suggests high confidence as much as a raised chin. Try this experiment: stand in front of your bathroom mirror using your usual posture. Observe how you look in the mirror and make a note of how confident you seem to be (or not be) at this moment.

Now walk away from the mirror for just a moment, and adjust your posture so that you are holding your chin MUCH higher than what is normal for you. In fact, hold your chin up so high that it makes you feel slightly awkward (I'll explain why you feel this way and just a moment). Now step back and front of the mirror and observe yourself with your new chin-up posture.

Notice how confident the person in the mirror appears now with their head held high, leading with their chin. Big difference right?

When we lack self-confidence, we tend to subconsciously hold our chin quite a bit lower than is normal. This becomes a habit after a while -- it becomes our base-level physical posture. Because of this habit, you may feel somewhat awkward (and even pretentious) when you first start "leading with your chin," and holding your head up very high. But this is simply because you're not used to it -- nothing more.

Holding your chin up high has two powerful effects:

1. It indicates to others that you have high self-confidence and the self-respect. How can a simple chin raise tell someone so much about you? It's a long story, but mostly it has to do with how human beings have involved, and the symbols that we have learned to accept as shortcuts for certain types of behavior. The bottom-line is, EVERYONE appears to have greater self-confidence when they hold their chin high. No exceptions.

On the other hand, dropping your chin is always an obvious "tell" of low self confidence. And not only does it send signals of low self confidence to others, it sends those same signals to our subconscious mind, causing us to feel it even less confident! It's a type of vicious circle.

2. Holding your chin high can actually make you FEEL more confident. This is the psychological concept of behaviorism. It is a recognized psychological fact that certain physical behaviors change the chemical production within the brain. Standing straight and tall, and poking your chin out is just such a behavior, and by affecting this posture, you will actually cause yourself to feel more confident inside.

The duel affects of the chin-up posture make it one of the easiest ways to simultaneously appear more confident to others, while developing greater feelings of self-confidence within. Obviously, these two affects can feed off of each other as well, creating even more self-confidence and self-worth.

The most important thing to remember about using the chin up posture is to do it every single day. Consistency is the key. Even when you're alone, practice holding your chin MUCH higher than you normally would.

Now, one word of warning: the first few times you go out in public with your chin held high standing straight and tall, you might feel a little awkward -- like you're trying to be something you're not. This can actually cause you to feel self-conscious, and possibly, even less confident than usual. But don't worry; this is extremely common, and nothing to be alarmed about at all.

In fact, go ahead and accept the idea that it could take time for you to adjust to your new chin-up posture, and recognize that you may feel a little uneasy in the beginning. Understand that this uneasiness will pass as the new posture becomes a strong habit -- it won't take long.

Try this challenge: pay attention to the placement of your chin and use the chin-up posture every day for 21 days in a row -- this is how long it takes your subconscious to firmly accept a new habit. After 21 days you will FEEL more self-confident, and you will be PERCEIVED as having higher self-confidence by others. It's a win-win situation!

Self-Confidence can be Developed Easily, and Without Years of Struggle! Discover the Breakthrough Self-Confidence Tip That Will Change Your Life!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jon_Mercer

Keeping Your Better Confidence Resolution This Year

By Nathalie Fiset

If you want to be more confident this New Year, you are in for a lot of work. Being confident does not only mean being able to stand up to people, or being able to express yourself without fear, or being able to talk to anyone you wish. Being confident means being able to both stand up to and accept criticism as something constructive; and being confident can take years to actually build up. When you make that resolution this New Year, you may want to specify that you want to build your confidence, not have it immediately; if you demand too much of yourself in a very short time, you might end up getting disappointed.

However, it is possible that you can achieve better confidence by this New Year. Here are a few tips that you might want to follow as you embark on this journey to better confidence and a better you.

Know what it is that you want to be confident in. There are so many fields that you can be an expert in, and you might want to choose prudently instead of heaping up your plate with all the dreams that you have. Not only will you not be able to fulfill all your dreams, you might have a harder time being an expert in just one field; you may also end up disappointing yourself and you can end up breaking your resolution.

So what is it that you want to build your confidence in? Do you want to be able to speak up in front of a large crowd, perform poetry at your local bar, dance for a Broadway audition panel, or audition for American Idol? Do you want to be able to invest large amounts of money in high risk stocks? Do you want to come out to your parents? Do you want to tell someone how much you love them? Be specific about your goals: it is difficult to meet a goal that is unreal and unexplainable, so word out your confidence goal directly, succinctly, and specifically, so that you know exactly what it is you are aiming for.

Keep a journal. It may sound cheesy, but it's a good way for you to know exactly what it is you want, remind yourself about your goals, and see how far you have come. In your journal, write your daily progress (or weekly or monthly progress, depending on your workload) and talk about what you felt as you tried to build up your confidence. Did you attend a class? Talk to an expert? Consult with your doctor? Submit an article to a magazine? At the end of the year, you can look back at your progress and see how far you have come!

Don't be afraid to start out small. You may want to perform in front of a large crowd, but you will seldom learn anything (except for perhaps, humiliation and discouragement) if you run straight into the lion's den and speak out in front of a very large crowd. Start out by performing at a local bar: go for open mike night or poetry-reading night to test your audience; or start being friends with the bar or café manager and book a night to promote your work. There are many ways for you to start off small, but these small efforts will keep on building up; when put together, all these efforts can make you even more confident to face the world.

Don't be afraid to learn new things. In order to be more confident in whatever it is you want to do, you will need to learn more and know more. You may need to enroll in classes or workshops, buy books that you might need to help you through, or even talk to a therapist! You need to be knowledgeable: there is a certain kind of confidence that arises when you know exactly what it is you are good at, so you need this knowledge to back you up. Better start saving for those classes and books, because learning is not only difficult, it is expensive as well!

Find a discussion group of friends or colleagues to help you out. There's nothing like a group of like-minded people to help you on your way. These friends or colleagues can be your cheering team, or they can be your network of connections, say by providing you a venue to produce or showcase your work, or to practice your craft.

Practice! Confidence doesn't just come from knowledge, it also comes from skill, so keep on going and keep on practicing. Confidence takes years to build, and with patience, you can get that confidence that you are aiming for.

For more information on hypnosis and better health please visit:
http://www.hypnoharmonie.com/http://naturalperfectharmony.com/http://www.a-1hypnosis.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nathalie_Fiset

Low Confidence Can Be Lethal

By Shanat Kuphur

People that are low or are not confident find a lot of difficulty to reach their goals. Self-confidence is something that is required to survive, meaning everyone with confidence can reach his or her goals with ease, and it is actually the most important fact of one's success. Ever imagined how the great players or business men make it all the way up to the top, yes self confidence is what they have. The command over self-confidence helps them be the best amongst all of us.

It is something that any and everyone requires to succeed in life. A person that has confidence can succeed in his objectives. Self-confidence is something that has to be created in order to accomplish something or anything that is desired. Once you have developed self-confidence your goal is half achieved. So a person must have confidence, as it acts as a lethal weapon in reaching ones goal.

Confidence is required for everything, in sports, business, studies, daredevil acts, if you are confident enough you can go all-out and succeed in reaching your goal, come what may. Confidence can do wonders for you. Imagine you are demoralized and always fear a loss before it actually occurred, this means that you are actually low on confidence and are not prepared to reach your goal. The amount of work that you will put in might not be enough to reach the goal. So you require building that self-confidence. You might be low on confidence because of your past experience, where you suffered a heavy defeat, or possibly you have grown up without the most important aspect of life, self-confidence. However you need not worry, as there is help available in all forms for you to have that self-confidence.

A person that has fear of loss might experience this situation, in which he will assume things negatively and so will be the results. So in order to build self-confidence you have to work on your mental behavior and start thinking and looking at things positively. Confidence is all that is required to be there and achieve it.

Hypnosis can help you increase your self-confidence. Hypnosis deals with a person's mind that is disturbed and stressed with daily wear and tear, which increases the chances of low self-confidence. Hypnosis takes your mind to a subconscious state and removes those negative thoughts and instead fills it up with positive ones. After all positive results are the ones that you require and only positive thoughts can get you positive results. So if you want to build confidence then you can look for a hypnosis treatment. This will allow you in increasing your confidence.

This hypnosis treatment is available on the Internet in the form of mp3. So all you have to do is get one downloaded and you can just get started. Once you have done this you will see that how mp3 content will help you increase your self-confidence. You can use this modern way of self-hypnotizing for your cause. So all you have to do is get one and get started. Once done you will accomplish many goals in your life as you have that very important success weapon, self confidence.

For more information on confidence and how to deal with self confidence check the links today.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shanat_Kuphur

Resolution to Get More Confidence

By Nathalie Fiset

Most resolutions for the New Year revolve around losing weight, saving more, and finding true love. But for some people, their most important resolution is to gain more confidence. If you're on the same boat, here are some tips to finally help you break out of your shell.

Learn from Confident People

Confident people are easy to spot in a crowd. They tend to stand out, actually, because they're comfortable in their own skin. If you have friends or acquaintance that fit the bill, go ahead and ask them what makes them confident. Their stories are sure to inspire you to have more confidence in yourself.

Take Baby Steps

Some people tend to make extreme decisions when reaching a goal. Sometimes it works, most times it doesn't. But a safer approach to achieving your goal is to take things one baby step at a time. Do things progressively rather than jumping from point A to Z. If you need to shore up your confidence, don't just suddenly enter a contest for stand-up comedians and give yourself a sink-or-swim ultimatum. Start with something small like making new friends in a setting you feel utmost comfortable. When you've done that successfully, move to something marginally more challenging and so on.

Don't Stress Yourself

People suffering from lack of confidence often end up stressing themselves for the smallest of things. In the end, their stress makes them perform worse than they should. Has that happened to you? If you don't want to be your worst enemy, you need to learn how to relax. Keep the negative thoughts away. Stress won't do you any good so just relax. Whatever you're about to do, surely it isn't anything that can kill you, is it? If it's not then stop worrying! Que sera, sera! But if you know you've prepared for it and you've done your best then just relax and let things happen.

Look at the Bright Side

One sad truth of life is that it's easier to find something to criticize than something to praise. Be that as it may, you don't have to do it just because it's easier, do you? Learn how to focus on the good stuff instead of the bad. If you've done something good, give yourself a pat on the back. Yes, whatever you did might not have been executed as well as you wanted to, but nobody's perfect. There's a time to nitpick but that time hasn't arrived yet...not until you gain enough confidence to handle criticism properly.

Stop Comparing

There are good and bad times to compare and right now, it's definitely not good to compare yourself with other people. Making comparisons and participating in a little competition now and then is only healthy for people who are confident because they know how to value themselves. Furthermore, any disadvantage in their part is seen as a challenge instead of an indication to wallow in self-pity. There's a long way to go before you can start perceiving competition as a healthy challenge, but you'll get there. Believe in it!

Act like You're Confident Already

Stand up straight. You don't often see confident people slouching. Most, if not all of them, tend to stand and walk straight because they know who and what they are and they know what they want.

Smile. Confident people are mostly happy people because they tend to enjoy life since they're doing what they want. Ultimately, it's easier to gain confidence if you're happy.

It's not easy to act like you truly believe in yourself but you have to do it anyway. Soon, you'll get the hang of it and before you know it, you're already confident of your skills and abilities and other people are asking you for advice on how to gain self-esteem.

Like Yourself

Last but not the least, accept yourself for who you really are. This doesn't mean that you don't have to work on your negative attitudes such as being short-tempered or impatient. Rather, it means being comfortable with your looks, personality, and interests. If you genuinely love reading, don't be afraid that people would find your hobby boring. That's who you are and there's no harm in having fun with what you like to do!

Confidence is something that money can't really buy. It starts from within and nurtured by the outside world. Believing in yourself may be easier said than done but if you work hard enough on gaining self-esteem and you're supported by your loved ones then what you want is sure to happen sooner than later.

For more information on hypnosis and better health please visit:
http://www.hypnoharmonie.com/http://naturalperfectharmony.com/http://www.a-1hypnosis.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nathalie_Fiset

Top Seven Ways to Keep Your Better Self-Confidence Resolution

By Nathalie Fiset

The road to self-discovery and gaining self-confidence is often daunting, but what lies at the end is sure to change your life for the better. A confident person is more equipped to handle challenges and competition, inspires respect from his colleagues, and able to draw more satisfaction and happiness from what he's doing. You can have all that if you stick to your resolution this year.

Nothing is as bad as it looks.

Whenever you feel your doubts and fears creeping on your mind, eating the meager crumbs of self-confidence you have left inside you, ask yourself just one question: what's the worst that could happen? Would it really be the end of the world if it did happen? It won't, would it? And that's why nothing is truly as bad as it looks - or more to the point, as you imagined it would be. If you've got something to do, just do it and stop being self-conscious about it.

Make new friends.

Stop isolating yourself. You can never test your limits and spread your wings if you only surround yourself with people you've known all your life. Making new friends is one way of challenging your self-confidence. Will it be able to see you through or not? Are you confident enough already to stay true to yourself? There's only one way to find out!

Get support from people who understand what you're going through.

Not all your loved ones will necessarily be of help. Some people will have a genuinely hard time understanding what you're going through. It's best that you draw support from those who do. These people know that you'll have an easier time sticking to your resolution if they can praise you for all the small feats you've accomplished. They'll be ready to give you a hand when you fall and help you focus on the good side when things don't go your way.

Stay away for the meantime from people who are hopelessly critical. They may think they're doing you a favor for pointing out your many faults but, regardless of their good intentions, you don't need that kind of help right now.

Keep a journal.

Write down every little thing you did that showed you've got confidence in yourself. Upon looking back, you'll see a gradual progress in your search for better self-confidence. Such success is sure to inspire you to do even better.

Write down what your fears are. Ask yourself why they exist and what you can do to confront them. Although some fears can't be banished, all of them however can be managed and you need self-confidence for that.

Write about your ambitions. Have you done anything today to help you reach your goals and dreams? Self-confidence is again necessary in making your dreams come true and doing things to achieve your objectives are also good exercises for building self-confidence.

Remember the best moments in your life.

If there's something you have to do and you're worried about it, spend just a few moments recalling the best moments in your life - moments where you worked extremely hard for a goal, believed in yourself, and eventually got what you wanted. Try to recapture those feelings and draw strength from it for the present.

Look good.

Beauty may just be skin-deep but we can't deny how it helps us feel more confident about ourselves, either. While you certainly don't have to undergo a complete image makeover, taking special care with your appearance won't hurt. Knowing that you look your best will give your self-confidence a much needed extra boost!

Do what makes you feel good.

It's hard to feel confident about yourself if you're doing something you don't like or feel good about. If you've always longed to be an artist and yet, you're stuck working as an accountant, that may be one reason why you've never felt good about your job. But if you're doing what you like then you'll feel more confident and happy about your job.

Expect a bumpy road ahead though. There will be times that you're going to stumble but what matters is your ability to get back on your feet and resume your journey. That's what a confident person does and that's what you'll be at the end of the year...or maybe even sooner!
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nathalie_Fiset

Have Confidence in Yourself!

By Shanat Kuphur

The problems related to self-confidence do not come to an end at the onset it self and has deep rooted effects. Confidence becomes a problem not only in public, but it shoots up when an individual is supposed to undertake responsibilities in life. An individual is bound to show different aspects of his/her character when faced with different situations. Every individual is a son or a daughter, a brother or a sister, a husband or a wife, an officer or a subordinate all in one at the same time. All these different faces fill him with various tasks that have to be undertaken with no failure.

Self-confidence to deliver all duties with nothing lagging behind is something without which all of us find difficult from time to time. It is quite a task to proceed at times of difficulties. When too many demanding situations come up simultaneously, it is quite common that people shiver in front of the dilemma. The puzzles continue unresolved. Shouting at fellow beings or blaming others is going to be of no use. People need to realize the situation and problems and need to act accordingly. When one realizes the lack of self-confidence in, you must take necessary actions to overcome the problem to bring out the best in you.

A person who has a serious problem in regards to confidence will start facing the problem from an early age and may even experience difficulties in looking at others or to talk in front of people. Their confidence interferes with a self-awareness of the bodily changes at the time of puberty and slowly you turn out to be introverted. It is a common phenomenon that even people who were smart and active in their young ages undergo a drastic change in their teenage years. They find it difficult to accept the change of voice and features in them. The lack of self-confidence again rises up.

At a later stage, in colleges they have to face too many stages and audiences as compared to their earlier life. Seminars, project presentations and arts day turns out to be their worst nightmare. Career graph remains stagnant and failures in profession follow in life.

Fellow beings can help these people a lot to boost their confidence level. But when beyond a limit, hypnosis is the best technique to deal with the problem of self-confidence. Tensions and worries are wiped away through a relaxation of mind and body. Insight into the potentials inside him will help him to gain confidence, thereby polishing his talents. Hypnotherapy techniques help him to get back the self-confidence immersed in his anxieties and help him in conquering heights of life.

It is easy to help a man to achieve success in life. At the same time no time is required to defeat him if he is less confident about himself. The entire journey of life is through the confidence of heart and mind. Self-confidence is the motivating power acting from within that takes him through the hardest paths of life.

For more information on confidence and self confidence check the links.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shanat_Kuphur

4 Quick Tips to Improve Your Self Confidence

By Greg Frost

Self confidence is akin to a tool. It provides you with a sense of certainty, and helps you to manage your fears. Self confidence is usually built up through a history of positive experiences, and with an improved sense of self confidence you will find that your esteem and mental state will be greatly improved as well.

If you find yourself unable to summon up courage to voice your own opinion, or to tell someone to back off when you need to, then it is probably a sign that you need to improve your self confidence. Here are 4 easy tips that will help you do just that.

Tip #1: Set Goals

The first step in gaining self confidence is to set realistic and achievable goals for yourself. These goals should not be unachievable nor out of reach, but should be a challenge for you so that you can improve. No goal is too small, as every little step counts and works towards achieving the next bigger goal. With set goals, you will be able to push yourself to exceed your comfort zone, and it will give you something concrete to work towards.

Tip #2: Control your Feelings

Feelings are strong emotions that can have a big impact on our self confidence. Emotions associated with fear, anxiety or distrust can undermine our self esteem, whilst others like happiness and excitement can increase our self confidence. By being able to control your emotions so that you do not fall prey to negative emotions, you will be able to project positive emotions. This makes it easier for you to act and appear more confident.

Tip #3: Have a Mentor

Pick someone that you trust who will be able to give you the type of guidance that you are looking for. Make sure that it is someone who will not be afraid to push you to achieve your goals, and hold you accountable if you are not reaching them. It can be a friend or a family member, or a professional even.

Tip #4: Take Action

Do not allow yourself to procrastinate as you need to take active steps in order to build confidence. It is often a vicious cycle if you insist on waiting for your confidence to improve first before taking action to help you grow your self-confidence. Based on the goals that you have set for yourself, set aside an hour or so everyday to work on doing activities that will help you to achieve those targets.

Stop yourself from worrying about being unprepared, or not confident enough to approach new activities. Whilst it is normal to worry, it is important that you do not do so excessively. There are many possibilities open to you, and you need to be receptive to developing your own self-confidence.

Greg Frost is an in the field of confidence building and has an informative website at http://www.ConfidenceBuildingCourses.com - They cover a whole range of self confidence topics for the average person.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Greg_Frost

Overconfidence vs Lack of Confidence

By Greg Frost

Confidence refers to a strong sense of belief and trust in your abilities to achieve what you want in life. The benefits of having greater self-confidence are numerous, allowing you to have more faith in your decisions in life. Having a lack of confidence can prove to be an obstacle to achieving more from your life, but having overconfidence should also be avoided.

Whether you feel that you have sufficient self confidence, or that you have room for improvement, do keep in mind that the key is in striking a balance between your level of confidence, and the life path that you are charting. If these two are not complementary, you may find that a lack of confidence will hinder you from staying on track, whilst overconfidence may prove to be your downfall.

Self confident people are able to determine what they are doing in life, and reach for it with enthusiasm, knowing and placing faith in their strengths and skills to achieve it. Many people seek to improve their self confidence, but it is necessary to draw a line between being confident and over confident. Overconfidence can work against what you are aiming for, blinding you to your own comparative advantages or preventing you from accurately determining if the position you are in is where you desire to be.

Overconfidence also works against you, when you are faced with failures or obstacles when you feel strongly that it should have been straightforward and easily achievable. This results in anger and impulsive behavior, and you may end up souring relationships with your colleagues and close friends. Often, people who are overconfident are unaware that they are, or that they have overreacted. This makes it even more difficult for them to identify if they are overconfident.

A few likely signs that you are overconfident is if you tend to be overly assertive and feel that you are superior to others. You will also find that your friends are keeping their distance, or are somewhat cool towards you, and most people keep a distance from you. If you suspect that you might be overconfident, well done, this is a signal that you are humble enough to deal with your confidence problems.

Constantly keep your pride and confidence in tasks or opinions come in second to logic and analysis. Do not let your confidence cause you to lose your guard, or put in less effort than you should be putting into your work.

Thus, while being confident is desirable, be careful not to over rely on your self confidence or use it as a reason to procrastinate or to cut down on your preparation work.

Greg Frost is an in the field of confidence building and has an informative website at http://www.ConfidenceBuildingCourses.com - They cover a whole range of self confidence topics for the average person.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Greg_Frost

10 Powerful Tips to Improve Self Confidence

By Jon Mercer

If you find yourself feeling like you're "in a rut" and not appreciating yourself as much as you should, there are simple changes you can make to improve self-confidence and take charge of your life again. Confidence affects every area of life, from relationships to the workplace. And improving your self-confidence will always have a beneficial effect on both your relationships with others, and your ability to handle the little ups and downs that life can throw at us from time to time.

As a personal development coach, I have worked with many individuals to increase self-esteem and self-acceptance. The following 10 tips have proven time and again to improve self-confidence for a wide variety of people.

1. Clothes Make the Man and Woman. Yes, it's an old cliche', but that doesn't make it any less true. When we dress confidently, we feel confident. Try this experiment: for one week, dress like the person you want to be, NOT the person you think you are. This one is simple change can dramatically improve self-confidence.

2. Stop Trying so Hard. Improving confidence should not be about struggling. Give up trying to be a perfectionist, and give yourself permission to be a human being who will naturally make mistakes sometimes. A sure-fire way to feel inferior is to set the bar too high in every area of your life. Cut yourself some slack -- you deserve it.

3. Focus Your Attention Outward. Lack of confidence often causes people to focus an inordinate amount of attention inward, on the "self." Make it a point to focus more attention on others than you do on yourself. Remember, confident people focus outward -- insecure people focus inward.

4. Avoid Energy Vampires. All of us know someone who seems to "suck the energy" out of a room just by entering. Give yourself permission to minimize contact with these people. Don't hate them or judge them in any way. Just recognize that they do not improve the quality of your life, and minimize your connection with them.

5. Take a Chance. Try something new and different that you may have been apprehensive about in the past. Enroll in an adult education class, or join a book club, gym, bowling league or other social pastime. Shake up your life a little bit. The change will do you good, and your self-confidence will improve.

6. Be a Giver. There is an old proverb that says "you only get what you give." With that in mind, start giving what you want to receive in life. Make other people feel as confident and worthwhile as you can. By helping to build up confident feelings in others, you are sure to get back the same thing. Call it karma or what ever you like -- it always works.

7. Practice Forgiveness. Many people are very hard on themselves because, deep down, they have not forgiven themselves for something in their past. If you're clinging to some failure or transgression from the past, recognize that you are doing it and then forgive yourself completely for whatever it was. Likewise, if there is someone else in your life you need to forgive, make it a point to do so. NOT for their sake -- but for yours. When we forgive, we purify our heart and start anew.

8. Affirmations: Ask Yourself the Right Questions. Some people repeat affirmations such as "I am self confident," which is fine, but you can improve your affirmation results by using leading questions such as, "why am I so confident?" The subconscious mind operates in a very simple manner. When you ask it a question like this, it will immediately go to work looking for the answer, and it will report back to you all of the ways you already are confident.

9. "Model" Other Confident People. One way to improve self-confidence is to model the behavior of people whom you consider to be supremely confident. If you can befriend a very confident person, that's great. But if not, just find an actor or other celebrity who is confidence personified, and study their behavior. Do this several times a week, and some of their confident mannerisms are bound to rub off on you.

10. Practice Gratitude. A grateful mind is a peaceful mind, and a peaceful mind radiates confidence. Practice making a daily gratitude list, and particularly focus on different aspects of yourself that you appreciate. Maybe you are a great swimmer, or good at math, or really strong, or a good dancer, or have an unusual sense of humor, or are good at design, or a great singer, or a really good friend, or any number of other positive attributes. Look for what is great about you, and then be grateful you have those qualities. Appreciating your good qualities will improve self-confidence, and help you develop the kind of positive self-image that is crucial to success in life.

Finally, you can improve self confidence without endless affirmations or struggling! Discover how to build self confidence the easy way.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jon_Mercer